Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals
by Snidne
Summary: The Dark Witch, Selene, has been stopped from taking over Minasa-Ratis. The Tale of Two Sisters has reached the final chapter. And an innocent Item Shop continues to thrive. But for these protagonists, the journey to save the world has only just begun. Can they survive the coming storm? A Fortune Summoners/Chantelise/Recettear crossover.
1. The Wandering Demon

_A/N: Welcome to my latest work! This story will be a bit different in the fact that it will be a multi-chapter epic rather than just a one-shot. Because we honestly do need more stories in these categories. My one and only hope is that I can do these characters justice. With that said, please enjoy.  
><em>

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 1: The Wandering Demon  
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* * *

><p>Arche Plumfield was having a rather pleasant day if one asked her. She had actually managed not fall asleep in math class, was able to answer a question in history and was currently watching her two friends Sana and Stella practicing their magic against one another. Sana seemed reluctant to even try against Stella, who had no reservations in kind.<p>

Roughly one week ago, her school had been attacked by the one who had been known throughout the land as the 'Dark Witch Selene' a mysterious being capable of powerful magicks. She had been on the hunt for rare and powerful elemental stones, the purpose of which was still unknown. Dragging the school into another dimension known as the Dark World had turned the students and teachers alike into stone and it was only thanks to the efforts of Arche and her friends that they had been saved, even though the Dark Witch had managed to escape.

"Come ON! I expect some kind of challenge after everything we went through!" The one yelling was Stella, heir to the Mayberk fortune and company. She was dressed in a fancy dress, her blonde hair done up in pigtails and held in place by ribbons. On her wrist was a bracelet, embedded in which her elemental stone known as Royal Scarlet, an ancient stone with ties to the great Minasa-Ratis herself.

"I'm not really sure about this though," came the rather timid reply of Sana, wearing a blue smock and matching beret. Her elemental stone, called Eolamest, was attached to her staff, as she clutched it to her chest. She had a look of worry on her face.

"Don't be ridiculous," Stella said, giving a small 'tut'. "We can always use the practice, and how else can Arche learn if she doesn't get to witness this?"

"Come on Sana, you can do it," Arche said encouragingly. "I can't really practice you know. I really wish I could though."

"Foo, its ok Arche!" The cheerful voice came from the white-furred creature currently resting on her head, dressed in a festive-looking hat and vest. It had large ears and a long tail that seemed to dance in the wind. Which made sense as the creature was known as the Wind Elemental Chiffon, Arche's partner who was once sealed within her elemental stone known as Silpheed. Chiffon could not remember much of his past, despite the fact that the seal that had been placed on the elemental stone had been lifted for some time. But his new friends were patient with him, assuring that they would be there for if and when his memories returned.

"Yes, yes. What Arche said," Stella said impatiently. "Come now, we won't get any stronger if you don't practice! Now, once more!"

"Eep!" 

* * *

><p>Mr. Plumfield was having a rather normal day. Running an item shop was harder work than what most people might imagine, but it had its charm all the same. The sun was slowly starting to set, and most people in Tonkiness had already finished shopping for the day. He expected his daughter was coming home soon, so it seemed a good time to close up shop. As he was about to close the register for the day, the bell on the door rung as a person entered.<p>

The person was rather unique in appearance, if one could put it politely. It was clearly a man, with dark tanned skin and coal-colored hair. He wore a dark cape with a high collar and red trims, covering a maroon and grey colored shirt and dark pants. He wore square specs over his blood-colored eyes. But easily his most noticeable features were the pointed ears and metal claw-like gauntlets that were clearly his weapons of choice.

Still, despite his appearance, he couldn't just turn him away. "Good evening. Welcome to our humble shop. Can I get you anything?"

"Yes," he said in a deep, smooth voice. "I just need some herbs. About a dozen batches, the best you have." He reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a handful of gold coins and placed them on the counter. Mr. Plumfield looked at the amount in wide-eyed wonder.

"This… seems a bit much just for some herbs," he said, though he reached for several bundles of them all the same.

"Yes well… I'm used to a different form of currency than the local kind. I've traveled a long way so I'd like to get some rest soon. Just keep it all."

"No, no, I couldn't do that," he said, taking only what was needed and pushing the rest back to the mysterious traveler. The man looked at the pile of coins and back to the shopkeeper. He couldn't help but feel like the traveler was judging him for something. But without a word, he took the herbs and coins and placed them into his pack.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Both men turned to see the young girl Arche walking through the door, along with her friend Stella.

"Pardon the intrusion," Stella said. "Good evening Mr. Plumfield."

"Ah, welcome home Arche. Good evening Stella. What can I do for you?"

"Dad, dad, Stella invited me over to her house tomorrow! Can I go, please, please, please?"

"Plwease," Chiffon added cutely.

"Haha, ok, ok. I'm sure your mother won't mind so it's fine. Make sure you behave yourself, ok?"

"Of course!"

"Well, that settles that," Stella said. "By the way, who are you? And do I have something on my face?" It was then that Arche realized that the man before them had been staring at them during the entire exchange. Chiffon nervously hid behind Arche as he watched the stranger.

"Hpmh. As if I have time to waste on people like you. Thank you for the items." With that, the man walked out the door without a backwards glance.

"Wha-? How dare he! What a rude person," Stella exclaimed, offended by the man's attitude. Never before had she been so glaringly and blatantly disrespected.

"Calm down Stella, I'm sure he didn't mean it," Arche said trying to pacify her friend. "Who was that dad?"

"Oh just a traveler. His appearance would suggest that much."

"Well, in any case, I should be getting back to the manor. I can't have Rowen getting worried about me. I shall be here tomorrow meet with you and Sana, so be ready. That means no sleeping in, got that?"

"No problem!"

"Yup! I'll wake up Arche myself!"

"Chiffon!"

After the exchange, Stella left the shop to which she immediately frowned and started thinking. That man from before was strange, and not in the good way. He definitely seemed like the type that would be up to something.

Unknown to them, though, the man was also thinking about their encounter as he rented a room at the local inn. _That was definitely an Elemental, _he thought to himself as he rested in bed. More importantly, he realized one that wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. It was only a secondary goal, considering that he didn't expect to find one way out in this middle of nowhere town such as this. He was here for an entirely different reason after all, but he wouldn't question his luck all the same. Still…

Knowing his own, as some would put it, lack of delicacy in these situations, things would likely escalate quickly. While he was getting better with interacting with others, he still couldn't fully trust many people. And he knew that he couldn't let that girl, whom the Elemental seemed attached to, get in his way. If worse came to worse he would have to fight. He gave a deep sigh. He doubted she would ever find out, but he hoped all the same that Recette would forgive him… 

* * *

><p>Arche hummed to herself as she set her headband on. She was dressed in her usual clothes and strapped her sword to her back as always. She never went anywhere without it. What good was a magical swordswoman without her sword? "Morning Chiffon! Are you ready to go?"<p>

"Good morning Arche! Foo, let's go!"

Rushing downstairs and with a quick goodbye to her parents, Arche headed to the town square to meet with her friends. She was excited to see Stella and Sana waiting for her in front of the inn, apparently talking about something. "Hey guys! This is so exciting! So are we gonna head to Stella's house right away? Cause I was thinking we could-."

"Arche for the love of all things holy can you not ramble," Stella interjected. "And we do have a plan. We're going to school."

"Wha-! But I thought we had today off…"

"We do. But um… Stella said that she saw something kind of shady…"

"Yes. Arche, do you remember that horribly rude person from yesterday?" Arche tried to think back to yesterday, but was drawing a blank. After a few minutes passed, Stella yelled out, "From your shop! The man there!"

"Oh, you mean that traveler guy?" Stella resisted the urge to slap her hand over her face. Sometimes she was really frustrated on how dense her classmate could be at times. "What about him?"

"Stella said that she saw him head to the school this morning," Sana explained.

"Right and that just screams suspiciousness!"

"But isn't our school supposed to be kinda famous or something? Maybe he just wants to see the sights?"

"Think about it," Stella said, frustration creeping into her voice. "Not that long ago that Dark Witch showed up and now some suspicious foreigner is heading to the school on a day no one is supposed to be there. We must investigate," she finished with zeal.

"Muu… well I don't really get it, but it sounds like a fun adventure! I'm in!"

With that, the three turned to the path leading to Minasa-Ratis. The path was normally littered with minor monsters, mostly slimes that could easily be outrun by the students and even defeated with some minor effort. Arche and her friends were able to bypass them all easily, making haste towards their school.

Once they reached it, Arche and Stella recognized the man from the item shop looking over the entrance to the school, studying it but not entering. The three of them quickly hid behind some trees to try figure out what he was doing here. Soon enough the man began to talk to himself. "I see… so I was right. Even though it's been awhile, there are definitely traces of dimensional nexus magic being used. And this signature… it's definitely hers. Just what in the world was Selene doing?"

"I knew it," Stella said keeping her voice down. "He's definitely up to something."

"He mentioned this Selene though. Who's that," Arche questioned.

"That's the Dark Witch," Stella said trying to keep from yelling.

"But... but why would this person know her," Sana asked.

"Shhh… keep quiet."

The man gave a sigh. "Damn… well, there is nothing left here. No way to reaching her now. Well, not that it matters in the end. For now though…" The man turned around and shouted out, "You three can come out now! I know your there!"

"Wha-? How did he?"

"Looks like there is no use hiding it anymore," Stella said, as they made themselves visible. "Alright, who are you? And why are you here?"

"Hmph. Who I am, and my business, are none of your concern." He recognized the two girls from the shop yesterday but the third one was a new face. "However, this does lead me to a pressing matter at hand." He pointed to Arche. "Surrender the Elemental to me."

"What? Why do you want Chiffon," Sana asked surprised as the young Wind Elemental hid behind Arche.

"That is none of your concern. If you let me have him, I promise no harm shall come to him or you."

"Arche… I'm scared. Something about him fweels… wrong."

"Chiffon…" Arche steeled her resolved and drew her weapon. "Hey! Leave Chiffon alone!"

"If you want an Elemental so badly go and find one yourself," Stella added, raising her dagger and preparing her magic. Sana held up her staff as well.

"I'd rather this not end in violence. But don't think I'm not above it!" With that, he charged forwards, extending his claws to strike. The three were surprised at his speed, but Stella reacted first.

"Fire Wall!" A wall of flames appeared between Arche and the man, though to the three's surprise, he was able to stop himself and put back some distance between them. Arche pressed forwards, passing through her ally's flames unharmed with a fierce battle cry as she attacked with her sword. The man was able to parry the strikes almost effortlessly. "Chaser!" Arche pulled back just as four fireballs emerged heading straight for the man.

"Hmph." Drawing upon his own magic, he quickly summoned four, one-eyed bat-like creatures who each took a single fireball before being defeated, protecting their master. "Pesky annoyance. Dark Swarm!" He raised his hand to them and immediately a swarm of shadowy bats launched out at them. Sana quickly took to the front.

"Shield!" A transparent barrier surrounded her as the bats collided with it, dispersing afterwards. The blow was weakened, but it still managed to take a lot out of her and the shield was down at the end. "He's… strong!"

"I know. Arche, distract him! I have an idea!"

"Got it!" The swords girl charged, but this time the man was ready to meet her halfway. Both struck, with Arche using every last bit of her strength to parry the blows that came her way. Throughout the exchange though, she couldn't help but feel something was wrong. Having gone on many adventures and learning the way of the sword, Arche was able to feel certain things about fighting her opponents. And while this was clearly an opponent that would take everything she had to beat, she couldn't help but feel there was something off about him.

Instinct and synchronized movements through their many adventures together was what pushed Arche away, as Stella had finished preparing, managing to get close. "Eat this! Explosion!" The man looked surprised, letting out a startled cry of pain as his body was engulfed by the blast of Fire Magic. The blast had singed some of his clothes, arms crossed over his face as he glared at the two. But before he could say or do anything, a torrent of water came rushing at him, knocking him back and off his feet.

"Alright! Nice work Sana," Arche praised. The young water mage smiled, clearly embarrassed. "Did we get him?"

"I think so. Alright, see here," Stella exclaimed, "You're going to talk about what you know of the Dark Witch. Unless of course, you still need more persuading. To which my sword-happy friend here will oblige."

The man said nothing, simply still lying on his back. "Uh, Stella, I think we might have hit him too hard," Arche said.

"I must retract my earlier observations." The three looked surprised to see the man casually getting up, brushing dust off his clothes. "Congratulations, the three of you have succeeded in angering me." He focused for a moment before letting out a fierce cry, dark energies swirling around him. Even from a distance, the power spike was enough to push the three girls back slightly.

"What power! This isn't normal at all!"

"It seems like I can no longer hold back. Fret not though, I won't kill you." He dashed forwards, even faster than before, and instinct had Arche bring her sword up to defend mere seconds before impact. It wasn't nearly enough though, as she was sent flying back, her sword knocked from her grip as she let out a cry of pain.

"Arche!" The man gave no quarter, directing his gaze to Sana. "Shield!" The man raised his hand and several bursts of fire shot out, destroying her shield and striking her back. Stella could only look in shock. She stepped back fearfully, trying to focus her magic. But the terror that the man was inspiring right now made it impossible to concentrate.

"You asked for my name, didn't you?" He rose up his claw, his entire body still pulsing with dark energies. "I am the Half-Demon Griff. Remember it… and tremble."

He brought his claw down.


	2. A Demon's Tale of an Item Shop

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 2: A Demon's Tale of an Item Shop**_

* * *

><p>Chiffon the Wind Elemental was frightened. And rightfully so. A mysterious man had appeared who wanted to take him away from Arche, his best friend in the whole world. Naturally Arche and her friends attempted to fight him off. Normally, they would start by having Arche use the power of her elemental stone, the power of Unison, to merge together. The fact that she hadn't though spoke volumes about how much she was worried about him being taken.<p>

Of course, it appeared that they had won, but the man, who revealed himself to be a Half-Demon named Griff, unleashed a dark power and soundly defeated the girls. Chiffon was rubbing against Arche, trying to shake the girl to wake. "Arche! Plwease get up!"

"Don't bother," Griff said, walking towards them. He was cleaning his glasses, the dark power within him having returned to its dormant state. "Right now you should be grateful I freed you from her oppression."

"Wha-? No, Arche is my fwiend! And you hurt her!" Griff seemed taken aback by this, but shook his head.

"Don't be fooled. Humans are all capable of taking advantage of others. I've seen it happen before, far too many times." He raised his clawed hand. "Come to me now. I have need of your power."

"No! Stay away!" Chiffon tried to summon some kind of magic to defend himself with, but if anything had happened, it showed no effect on Griff. "Arche, plwease get up!"

Griff looked on in silence. The Wind Elemental was obviously young, and clearly it knew little about how cruel the world could be, and how cruel that humans could be. But he seemed honestly concerned for the young girl. It surprised him really.

"Leave… leave Chiffon alone… you bully…"

"Arche!"

"Persistent, aren't you," Griff said. "I could easily end your life, right here and now if I wished. Shouldn't you beg first?"

"No way," Arche said, struggling to stand. "Besides, you said you wouldn't do that. I've fought a lot of enemies before, and I can tell… it was never your intention from the beginning."

"Arche?"

"It's strange… but I feel like… deep down, you're not as bad as you seem." Griff's eyes widened as he reflexively took a step back. His thoughts wondered to a time long ago, when another young female had also surprised him with her words.

"_Here you go Griff!"_

"_This is… this cannot be nearly as cheap as you are selling it to me as."_

"_Hehehe. Well, it's your first time shopping here as my friend! So of course I can afford to make it a little cheaper."_

"_Your… friend?"_

"_Well, yeah! I told you right? I'll always think of you as a customer, so-."_

"_Yes, yes, I remember. I did swear, after all."_

Arche swayed and fell forwards, to which Griff immediately reached forward and caught her. "Arche! Oh no, Arche be ok!" Griff gave a deep sigh, knowing that he had messed up big time. He really, really hoped that Recette could forgive him…

* * *

><p>Arche awoke in a bed, looking up groggily at a rather familiar ceiling. <em>This is… The nurse's office?<em> Her whole body felt heavy, though rested, as she sat up in bed. "Arche!" Arche turned in time to see Chiffon fly into her chest, eyes watery with tears. "I was so worried! Arche!"

The swords girl wrapped her arms around him in a hug, holding him close. "You're ok too Chiffon! I'm glad."

"Looks like you finally woke up," came the voice of Stella as she walked into the room with Sana. "Goodness, you certainly like to sleep."

"I'm glad you're feeling better Arche," Sana said with a relieved smile.

"Umm… sorry to worry you guys though," Arche said before a look of surprise crossed her features. "Oh right! What happened to that guy?"

"Looks like you are awake at last." Arche turned to the doorway to see the man, Griff, standing there. "It seems we have come across on the wrong foot."

"You! What are you doing here? And which foot did you start with? Cause I usually like to start with my right…"

Griff pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes in frustration. "Please tell me she isn't always like this."

Sana laughed nervously. "Well, you see… Arche is…"

"No, don't even bother. I have enough problems dealing with one airhead I know," Griff said, taking a chair and sitting down in it. "Besides, I believe I owe you an explanation."

"Yes that's right," Stella said standing to her full height. "You have the gall to attack us, try to steal an Elemental and even worse, rudely ignore me, so you better have a good explanation for it all!"

"Yes. Well, to make a long story short, I'm trying to save the world." Predictably, only silence greeted him for about three minutes before a collected 'What!' from the three girls rang out into the room, causing Griff to wince and rub his ears. "Blast it, don't do that!"

"Mr. Griff, does that make you a hero? I've never met a real live hero before," Arche said with stars in her eyes.

"S-save the world?"

"I must admit, I don't see you as the type…"

"Don't be mistaken, I'm no hero," Griff said, shaking his head. "To be perfectly honest, I rather dislike most of humanity. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact such a result would ruin my own goals I wouldn't hesitate to allow it to happen."

"That sweems really mean," Chiffon said disapprovingly.

"So then why are you doing this then," Stella asked.

"Because it would be bad for demon-kind as well," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Demons have grown weak over the years. We have lost our pride as fearsome creatures that were the enemies of humans. I want to restore that." He looked at his hand, palm opened as if he was staring at something only he could see. "That warrior spirit, the power to challenge anyone and anything that would get in our way. I want our kind to return to the height of its power. Few demons share my goals, and even fewer do anything to make them a reality."

"Is that really… ok," Sana asked, uncomfortable with the revelation.

"That sounds completely selfish! Honestly, what exactly are you implying? You talk like you want to be some… some… Lord of Darkness or something!" Griff slightly winced at that expression. He really couldn't help it after all. _'Really? A Lord of Darkness in this day and age? People will just laugh!'_ He couldn't help but let out a groan as he remembered Recette's words.

"I… kinda understand." Arche's words surprised the group, Griff included.

"Wha-? Arche you can't seriously agree with this person," Sana said worrying for her friend.

"No, no. It's wrong and I know it is. But… well, I kind of went through the same thing with my dad. So I know how he feels anyway," Arche said wistfully. Her father had taught her everything she knew about swordsmanship, telling her stories about his time as a Royal Guard, up until his accident involving some monster of some sort. She was never given all the details about it, even now, but her father had changed that day. He stopped teaching her and no longer encouraged her adventurous spirit. He had become far too overprotective of her, and only recently had he began acting more like his old self.

Griff was more or less the same, except it involved an entire race of beings. And though Arche would certainly argue that he was attempting to go about it the wrong way or even for the wrong reasons, crossing blades with him revealed to her many things that he didn't have to say. Her father told her once that sometimes you can truly understand your foes just by fighting them. It rarely happened, usually only when two fighting spirits with something to prove were on the line. And she understood that Griff wasn't really that bad a person deep down. But for the sake of his people, he would become the outcast, the villain. He would bear the animosity of the world if it meant achieving what he thought would be the best for the demons.

Griff remained silent throughout this exchange. _First Recette, then you… I wonder what it is about you people…_ Griff had met many, many humans in his life. Most of the time, he was rather disgusted with their actions, always seeking out the ugliest sides of people to spur on his desire to see the demons rise and once more fight against mankind. Every human he encountered, was just another justification for his cause, a reason to believe that what he was doing was right.

But then he met Recette and everything changed. No longer could he see humans in terms of only black and white. The grey had been opened to him, and though it did not dampen his desire to see demon-kind rise up again, no longer did it truly motivate him either. He simply couldn't use the methods he thought would work, but he had no other paths opened up to him to achieve his goals. Only to himself, he could admit that he didn't have the desire to see the end of humanity anymore. True, he would probably never like humans and at best only tolerate them to an extent. But he could no longer see himself as a killer, an instigator of terror and destruction.

But he vowed to still find a way. Even if it meant searching his entire life, he vowed to become the hero to demon-kind as the one who would bring back the prosperity of their race.

"So Mr. Griff," Arche said interrupting his thoughts, "why do you need Chiffon then?"

"And you should still tell us about what you know of the Dark Witch," Stella added.

"Very well," Griff said. "I will start from the beginning. I came from a far off land, from a town called Pensee…"

* * *

><p><em>-Ring!-<em>

"_One minute," came a melodic voice from the back of the store that Griff had entered. The store was known as the item shop called Recettear and was becoming a well-known establishment in the town of Pensee, where adventurers came to make their fame and fortune. Griff had no such desires of those things, though the Adventurer's Guild here was a decent source of income for him since he did know how to fight. Lately though, it seemed he was coming here more and more often for just about all his needs. The place didn't specialize or discriminate on what it sold, so it was a decent place to get just about anything you wanted, provided they had it in stock._

_Coming from the back room were the two owners of the store, a young teen female wearing a simple patterned dress, with brightly colored ribbons in her brown hair and a silvery-grey haired fairy who wore a more conservative looking shirt and skirt. The girl was holding some boxes and set them down on a nearby counter. "Welcome to Recettear, how can I- oh! Griff, what a surprise to see you here!"_

"_Indeed. I trust you are here to purchase something rather than stand around and brood."_

"_I can choose to be wherever I wish to be, Fairy," Griff said rather rudely, not bothering to call the fairy by her proper name. The two of them naturally seemed to clash with one another. "As it so happens, I do in fact wish to purchase something. Why else would I be here?"_

"_Oh well… you know you usually come a bit later than this. You do all your shopping at night and the sun is barely setting." Indeed, it was much earlier than Griff would have liked to be out and about. He tended to avoid walking around town during the day. Not that he couldn't do it, but he preferred to keep his contact with others to a minimum._

"_Yes, well, I have business to attend to outside of Pensee, so I figured I should get going as soon as I could," he said, handing over a piece of paper to the girl. The fairy, Tear, looked it over._

"_It seems we have all of these items in stock…"_

"_So you're going on a trip then," Recette asked as she moved about the shop and picked out the items that Griff requested. "Is it to like some super-secret demon meeting place thing?"_

"_No," he said, keeping his answers short and to the point. "Though if you must know, I'm actually leaving the continent."_

"_EH!?"_

"_I… am confused as well. What could you possibly have to do that requires you to leave the continent? It isn't something stupidly dangerous is it," Tear asked suspiciously._

"_I don't know why you bother to ask, Fairy. You should know as well as I that I won't tell you."_

"_Considering your reputation, I would think I'd have a reason to be worried. This isn't going to turn into like what happened at the tower, is it?"_

_Griff scoffed, turning his head away. "Please. I already learned from that mistake the first time. I am not so foolish as to repeat it."_

"_Well, I guess as long as it's not dangerous," Recette said, bringing the items to the counter to tally up the total. "Still, I'll miss having you around."_

"_I'll try to contain my disappointment," Tear said sarcastically._

"_Charming."_

"_Aw, see you do care," Recette said cheerfully, causing both demon and fairy to shudder. "Well, anyway, the total comes out to-."_

_Just then the sound of the door being slammed open was heard, the ringing of the bell above the door echoing out. "Owner! Servant! I request emergency provisions, on the double!" The newcomer looked to see everyone staring at him. He blinked a few times before his eyes narrowed towards Griff. "You! What are you doing here?"_

"_Geez Caillou, you could be gentler with your entrances." A second person appeared, this one much taller than the other, as he gazed into the shop. "Hey Recette, Tear! Oh and Griff as well? What a nice surprise."_

_The two to enter the establishment were the child magician prodigy Caillou and the Priest/Monk Elan. Caillou wore a green sorcerer's robe, holding a staff that was nearly as tall as he was. Elan was wearing a plain, short-sleeved shirt that exposed his rather muscular arms and loose-fitting black pants. And where Caillou was scowling at the demon, Elan offered a friendly smile._

"_I was not aware you could dictate where I can and cannot be," Griff said icily. Recette looked nervous. Caillou was never one to watch what he said. In many ways, it showed how much a child he still really was, despite his advanced magical knowledge._

"_So Caillou, you needed something?"_

_Caillou turned his attention back to Recette for a moment, composing himself once more. "Ah yes. I require some things for a journey. Inept as you might be being the cashier jockey; I trust you can provide the necessary materials."_

"_I. Am. The. OWNER!" It was the common argument the two had, as Caillou found it hard to believe that someone who could be as airheaded as Recette was at times could be the owner of the store. It gave Griff a smirk seeing this._

"_Relax Recette, he's just having fun," Elan said ruffling the child's hair playfully. "Besides which, I'm going to need some traveling supplies too."_

"_Can you even afford it," Tear asked eyeing the monk critically. "I mean, just yesterday Louie was talking about how much you put on your tab at the bar the other night."_

"_Hey come on, I can have money when I know I need it," he said, clearly not wanting to be reminded of his less than reputable spending habits._

"_So… why is everyone suddenly going on a trip," Recette asked. Caillou looked to her like she had grown a second head._

"_Of course… someone like you wouldn't know. If you must know, the Magic Council has called upon all available magicians in the area to discuss a big problem. The power of the Elementals is weakening." Recette looked confused._

"_Well, you know if I feel down, I usually just have a snack. Like some walnut bread. Oh, or candy!"_

"_Once again, the nonsense you spout makes me question how you would have lasted without the fairy to anchor you down," Griff said. It shocked Recette a bit, considering that in his silence she had forgotten he was still here. "Beings attuned to magic can sense these things quite easily. Just ask your little fairy." He leveled a gaze to Tear. "You must have certainly known about this for some time now, correct?"_

"_Eh! Tear, is that true? Why didn't you say anything?"_

"_Er… well, I didn't really think…"_

"_Because it has nothing to do with you, silly girl," Griff continued. "Do not think someone like you has the power to change or fix something of this magnitude."_

"_Griff… that's just mean."_

"_Sorry Recette, but I actually do agree with Griff on this one," Elan said to her surprise. "Well, perhaps I wouldn't have said it with those words but… well, this isn't something that you can just hire an Adventurer to help you with, like that time with Arma."_

"_My memory serves me well, and I know you don't have magical talents Elan," Tear said, looking them over. "So how are you related to this?"_

"_Ah, well, I decided that I should visit my old master. He usually has some good advice and he's rather well informed on things. I figured it couldn't hurt." _

"_Aw, this place will be so lonely without you guys."_

"_Indeed. The loss of two valued customers and Elan will certainly affect the profits of the shop." Elan looked dejected at the, admittedly, cheap shot against him while Griff merely scoffed. "Oh please. Despite our… history with you, so long as Recette invites you in and you do actually buy things, you are still a customer and shall be treated as such."_

"_Hey come on… I buy things… sometimes," Elan said dejectedly._

"_Our cheapest goods. When they are on sale. Honestly I would expect a grown man to be wiser with money management than a child…"_

"_Haha, she got you good Elan," Caillou said slightly rubbing it in. The two were considered friends having known each other for some time, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to seek some revenge for having the older man treating him like a kid._

"_If we are done here…"_

"_Oh right! So um, the total price is…"_

* * *

><p>"…and that's about it. I came here, looked around a bit, found you three," Griff said finishing his tale.<p>

"Wow… to think there are so many other places out there," Sana said.

"I can't believe you know a real live fairy," Arche said excitedly, to which Griff pinched the bridge of his nose again.

"Unbelievable…"

"Arche, please tell me that isn't the only thing you got out of that," Stella said somewhat dismayed. "So I assume that the reason that you came over here has to do with the Dark Witch?"

"Correct. Considering she is also a demon, I came looking. But it appears she has long gone. And though my initial journey led me to find her, I instead found something else. The Wind Elemental may hold a clue into the problems of the weakening Elementals."

"Really? So you're saying that Chiffon is really important?"

"Foo, I'm flattered…"

"In a sense. That's why I need him to come back with me to Pensee. As much as I don't like it, the magician might know more if he saw an actual Elemental."

"Wow! You hear that Chiffon, we're gonna be heroes," Arche said excitedly.

"No." The strict finality in Griff's denial stopped all of them. "I only require the Elemental. The rest of you, especially you," he said pointing to Arche, "are not welcome."

"Hey! No way, if Chiffon goes then I'm going to," Arche said puffing out her cheeks in frustration.

"Arche, please think rationally about this," Stella said. "We cannot just go with this person, no matter what he says. Even if he is telling the whole truth, which I sincerely doubt, this is far more than one of your silly adventures. We are talking about some pretty powerful forces at work here."

"Plus, we can't just skip school like that. Not to mention what our parents might think about letting us go," Sana added.

"But… but I can't just let Chiffon go by himself. What if something happened to him and I'm not there!"

"Arche…"

"If… if Chiffon has to go, then I'm going too! I'm not going to-."

"Wake up!" Griff's yell startled them all as he stood, eyes blazing with anger. "This is not some game to be played! We are talking about what could possibly be the fate of the world!" He turned to face Chiffon who looked startled at the intense look the demon was giving him. "Given what I have witnessed, I will not force you to come with me. However, we are dealing with a gravely important situation. It would be in everyone's best interest if you came along with me. I will be staying in town for the next few days, and then I must return. If you decide to come with me, then find me at the inn. You have until then to decide."

And with that, he turned and left them to their thoughts.


	3. Fated Decision of the World

_A/N: I hope everyone who has been diligently reading this has had a good holiday! 2015, here we come! I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Thanks for being patient everyone!  
><em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals<strong>_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 3: Fated Decision of the World**_

* * *

><p>"Yum! That was a great dinner Stella!"<p>

"It was really nice."

"Mhm! But of course. As if I wouldn't have spared any expense with guests in the house."

The three girls and Chiffon were currently at Mayberk Manor, having enjoyed the well prepared meal that the manor's private chef presented to them. Chiffon was resting on the bed that would be his and Arche's to sleep on, rubbing his belly that was stuffed with food. It reminded him of the last time they had a sleepover, though this time it would definitely turn out better considering the last time it had ended up in a ghost hunt.

Though Stella was shy in admitting it, she did think of Sana and Arche as her friends. Of course, inviting them over would just be a good reason to show off her wealth and status that her family got to enjoy, which is what she convinced herself she was doing. But in honesty, she really did like spending time together with them, even if she didn't want to say it aloud.

Despite the detour with Griff, the girls had made it to the manor with some time to spare before sundown. Though his ultimatum to Chiffon was still present, they would not let it ruin the good time they were meant to have. Now though, it seemed to be a looming weight ready to crush them.

Arche would have none of it though. Grabbing a pillow, she held it up proudly before declaring "Pillow fight!"

Stella was less than amused. "Now see here Arche, those pillows were made with the finest-oof!" Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by Arche bopping her on the head with the pillow she was holding.

"Come on Sana, grab a pillow and join in!"

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea Arche…"

"Aw come on, what fun is a sleepover without a pillow fight?"

"We can have a perfectly fun night without having to resort to such barb- oof!" She was silenced again by another attack from Arche, causing her to grab a pillow for herself. "That's it! Arche Plumfield, prepare to be pillowed!"

The two continued to pillow fight, Arche laughing as Stella expertly fending off her blows. Sana merely spectated as Chiffon slowly drifted off to slumber, heedless of the noise around him. The moon's glow was the only testament to the three girls' noise as they enjoyed their blissful days…

* * *

><p>"<em>Chiffon… Chiffon, come here."<em>

"_Foo?" Chiffon looked around. He appeared to be inside a cave, one that looked rather familiar to him, though he could not quite place where he had seen it. "Hello? Arche, are you there?"_

"_Chiffon… please come, Chiffon. Hurry now." The voice calling his name was soft and melodic, instantly comforting him. It wasn't Arche, Sana, or even Stella calling to him. He didn't know who was calling him, but something about the voice was very familiar to the Elemental. Looking about, he floated ahead, deeper into the cave. He wasn't sure where he was going, but something inside him told him that he could trust the owner of the voice._

_A bit deeper in, and Chiffon could see the back of what looked like a beautiful young lady. She was staring at a set of doors, long golden hair draped across her back. She wore what looked to be a gown of some sort, a soft baby blue color that hugged her frame. She turned to face Chiffon, but for some reason, the details of her face were blurred, unfocused. "Um… were you calling me?"_

"_Silly, of course I was," she said, holding up an Elemental Stone. Chiffon recognized it as the one that Arche now possessed, Silpheed. Which meant…_

"_Master," Chiffon cried out, zooming towards her._

"_Chiffon… I'm glad. Chiffon, please listen to me. I need to go and do something. It's very important, you understand?"_

"_Important? Master, is something wrong? Did I do something bad?"_

"_No, no," she giggled, petting the head of her young ward. "It's just… what I am about to do is very dangerous. So I need you to protect this," she said, holding up the Elemental Stone he was bound to. "Can you do that for me, Chiffon?"_

"_Foo, of course! Chiffon on guard duty!"_

_The young woman let out a laugh, but her face looked somber. "Chiffon, listen… I might… not come back."_

"_What? No, Master, you have to come back! Plwease, don't go!"_

"_It's ok, Chiffon. Even if I don't return, one day I'm sure, someone will find this stone. A very important person, who will be your closest friend." Chiffon looked somewhat sad at this, but hopeful too._

"_My… fwiend?"_

"_Yes. A very important friend you will cherish. Chiffon, I want you to remember one thing. No matter what happens, always trust in your friend. Believe in them. I know one day the two of you will be the best of friends."_

"_O-ok…"_

"_Good. Now, Chiffon, one more thing before we part." The young woman rested her hands on Chiffon's head. "I need to send the next one a message…"_

_Suddenly everything faded to white. Chiffon looked around, not seeing anything. He felt scared for a moment. "Wow!" Chiffon jumped at the sound of the voice, as he turned about in all directions to search for the source. That voice was also familiar and also resonated within him._

"_Arche!"_

_Suddenly a blinding white light enveloped him…_

* * *

><p>"Chiffon? Chiffon, wakey wakey. It's morning."<p>

"Foo…? Ah…" Chiffon slowly opened his eyes, looking about. "Um… morning Arche… the room looks bigger…"

"Silly, we spent the night at Stella's house, remember?" Chiffon slowly remembered the events of last night. The tasty food, the comfortable bed. The dream.

"Dweam," Chiffon said excitedly to Arche's shock. "Arche, Arche, I had a dream! I think it was a memory!"

"Eh! Really, a memory? Are you sure?"

"I think so…"

"Then we gotta tell Sana and Stella!" The two quickly made their way downstairs where Sana and Stella were already seated in the dining room, a hot breakfast for all of them waiting. Sana smiled to Arche in greeting, but Stella looked annoyed.

"There you are. I told you that breakfast was waiting and I prefer not to eat it cold, thank you very much!"

"Sorry Stella. Oh, but get this! Chiffon says he finally remembered something!"

"Really? That's great Chiffon," Sana said excitedly, happy for the young Elemental.

"My, my. That is indeed something worth celebrating. Go on then, what have you remembered," Stella asked. The three girls looked to Chiffon expectantly, to which he scrunched his face up trying to remember the fading dream.

"Um… there was a pwetty woman… and um… she said something." Chiffon tried hard to remember what it was she said. "I think it was… something about going away?" He frowned a bit. That part seemed to make him sad. "Oh, and that I would meet a great fwiend! And I met Arche," he finished happily, floating up and about.

"Interesting," Stella said, taking a bite of toast and looking thoughtful. "Well, if we assume that the woman in Chiffon's memory is in fact Minasa-Ratis… But going away? Why?"

"Um… I don't know. I don't remember…"

"Well, that's just mean," Arche said angrily taking a bite out of her eggs. "I'd never abandon Chiffon!"

"Maybe she was going to do something dangerous," Sana suggested, holding her glass of juice up. "It would make sense that she wouldn't want something bad to happen to Chiffon." Stella frowned. While it did make sense, something still didn't add up. Why would someone of Minasa-Ratis's caliber not take the very stones she made with her on a dangerous mission? She could easily protect them and they would only benefit her with their power.

The only answer seemed to be that she was worried these stones would fall into the wrong hands. But what exactly could have the power to stand up to someone like her, one of the greatest sorceresses of her time? Stella could only recall the power of the Dark Witch, and more recently, the mysterious man named Griff. Both of them clearly had power on another level than they did, even considering the fact they didn't know how to fully utilize the powers of the stones they possessed. Then of course, was the mysterious voice that had ordered the Dark Witch's retreat. It was something that she obeyed, which meant that it had to be even more powerful than her.

"Well, I suppose that is that then," Stella said. She had theories to be sure, but without more to go on, she couldn't voice them just yet. "I suppose we should wait to see if Chiffon remembers anything else. Then maybe we can piece the mystery together."

"Yes! Super Detective Arche, back on the case!"

"Oh please, not this again," Stella said while Sana merely giggled. The four of them continued to enjoy their breakfast and make plans for the day. All the while though, a deep seated worry continued to build…

* * *

><p>It was late at night, and the town of Tonkiness was fast asleep. However, for one, an important decision was to be made. From the third floor of the item shop where the Plumfield family made their home, a window was opened. Flying out of it, Chiffon nervously looked around before staring back at Arche. A part of him really didn't want to go, at least not without telling her. But he felt that if she were awake, he would never be able to say goodbye and do what he had to do.<p>

The mission of saving the world stirred something within him. Chiffon wasn't sure what it was, but he felt obligated to listen to it. Still, he put his faith in Arche. She was the best friend he could ever ask for, and he hoped she would understand that this was certainly not a goodbye. No, he would return to her, that he promised himself and would force Griff to accept that promise as well. He had a feeling the Half-Demon would listen.

Closing the window, he silently flew down and made his way to the inn. He wasn't sure which room the demon would be in, but he figured he would be able to find out one way or another. However, he noticed that the demon was out walking, as he saw Griff following the path that would take him to one of Tonkiness's famous sights, the Shrine of the Wind. Chiffon flew after him quickly, catching up to him just as he reached Sana's house.

"Um… Mister Griff!"

Griff turned at the mention of his name. His face showed no shock or surprise at seeing Chiffon floating before him. "You may simply call me Griff. And I see you have decided to come with me then."

"Um… about that…" Chiffon looked nervous, but Griff was patient. "I… I really don't wanna leave Arche behind. Can she really not come?"

"I would rather she didn't," Griff said in a tone that left no room for argument. "I don't need to be held accountable for whatever foolishness befalls that girl. Moreover, it will be a dangerous journey. I cannot guarantee her safety should she come." Chiffon looked saddened by this, so Griff continued, "If you are still hesitating, then take more time to think it over. And if it makes you feel better, I can bring you back should your presence no longer be required."

"Really? You promise?"

"Of course. Demonic as I may be, I always keep my word," Griff said.

"Okay… thanks." Chiffon seemed relieved by the knowledge that he could at the very least, come back.

"In that case, we should leave immediately." Chiffon looked surprised, and a bit scared, at this proposition. "I move best under the cover of darkness. And the sooner we head back, the sooner you can reunite with the girl, right?" Chiffon seemed a bit saddened that he wouldn't have any more time to spend with Arche, but nodded all the same. For now though, he would journey with Griff.

Making a 'come here' motion, Chiffon grabbed onto Griff's cloak as he made his way back to the inn. There was no need to say goodbye, he would simply pack his things, return the key to his room and leave quietly without anyone noticing he was gone.

But at least one person that night indeed noticed his departure…

* * *

><p>The next morning, Arche awoke to the rising sun. She rubbed some sleep from her eyes as she tried to awaken. "Good morning Chiffon," she said cheerily. She was surprised by the lack of a response. "Chiffon?" Wondering if he had already headed downstairs, Arche began to get herself ready for another day of school. Once fully dressed, she headed downstairs to see her mother cooking something. "Morning mom!"<p>

"Good morning Arche. Breakfast is almost ready," she said, pulling out some plates.

"Smells great mom," Arche said excitedly, taking her seat at the table. "Um mom, have you seen Chiffon anywhere?"

"Oh. I haven't seen him this morning. Isn't he usually up when you are?"

"Maybe he went outside," Arche's father said, entering their combination kitchen and dining room. "There's a nice breeze outside. He's supposed to be a Wind Elemental right? Maybe he just wanted to enjoy the wind." Arche thought about it. It did make sense, considering that Chiffon could fly.

Deciding she would have enough time before school started to find him, Arche settled into enjoying breakfast with her family. When it was time for her to go, she said goodbye to her parents and bounded out the door, almost running into Sana on the way. "Whoa! Sorry Sana, I almost didn't see you. You ok?"

"Oh, yes I'm fine," Sana said, though she didn't exactly look it.

"Sana, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"Um… Arche, have you seen Chiffon this morning?"

"Huh? Well, now that you mention it, I haven't seen him all morning. I was about to look for him right now before school."

"Oh… Um, Arche, I don't really know how to tell you this, but… Chiffon went with Griff!" Arche looked surprised at this and grabbed Sana's shoulders.

"What!? But, when? How?"

"Um… last night I was using the bathroom… and when I was heading back to my room, I saw Griff and Chiffon talking about something. I didn't hear what they were saying, but I noticed that Chiffon was going with him. I think… I think Chiffon might have actually left!"

Arche was stunned. Chiffon leave? But why? In her heart of hearts, she knew the answer. But her thinking right now wouldn't allow her to see such a simple truth. Right now, there was only one course of action she could think of taking. "Sana, tell Ms. Sophia I'm gonna be late. I need to find Chiffon!"

"W-what!? But Arche, we don't even know where they went!"

"That doesn't matter! I gotta find Chiffon! I made a promise to him, and I'm gonna keep it!" Arche grasped Sana's hands with her own. "So please, Sana! Can you tell Ms. Sophia what happened?"

Sana only smiled at her. "I'm sorry Arche… but I can't. I can't let you go after them alone."

"Are you sure Sana?"

"Of course. Remember Arche, that time I got sick after our adventure?" Arche frowned. How could she forget? She had continuously blamed herself for pushing Sana so much beyond what she believed were her limits. "I told you at that time not to blame yourself. And that I'd still want to go on adventures with you. I'm not breaking that promise either. I'll definitely help you find Chiffon!"

"Sana…" Arche gave her friend a hug in gratitude. "Thanks so much. But your right, we don't know where they are or where they are going."

"Um, about that… Griff said he came from another continent right? That probably means he came from across the sea. So it's likely he's going someplace that has boats."

"Boats huh… well, I don't know any places like that. But I do know where we can start asking questions," Arche said, drawing her sword and pointing it dramatically in the air. "Hang in there Chiffon! Arche's coming!"


	4. The Path to Adventure

_A/N: To my one reviewer: Thanks much for your encouraging words! Of course I'm definitely going to be writing more and more, so look forwards to it! I promised this to be a three-way crossover and while we've had more than our fair share of Fortune Summoners and some Recettear, I feel the need to bring some Chantelise to the table. Enjoy all!  
><em>

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 4: The Path to Adventure**_

* * *

><p>Chartreux was the second largest city in the country of Scotsholm, having been rebuilt after a recent war with the neighboring country of Abyssinia. Within were rich and proud traditions that for generations had survived and told their tales. It was here that Arche and Sana were talking to the people in order to figure out where they could find a boat. Of course, it was easier said than done. Most people simply either ignored them or admonished them for not being in school.<p>

"This isn't good… no one is taking us seriously," Sana said worried.

"We can't give up though! We need to find a place with a boat!"

"Aye lass… did ye say ye be looking for a boat?" Both girls turned to see an older man looking at them, a scruffy looking beard of white covering his face. In one hand was a small pipe from which smoke was coming out. "Little lady, if ye be looking for a sea faring vessel, ye be looking in the wrong place. Aye, the only true place to catch a boat would be Russbourg, with no doubt."

"Russbourg? I don't think I've heard of that place," Arche mentioned.

"Um… well, from what I remember, Ms. Sophia talked about it in class. She said it was west of Scotshold… I think."

"Aye, ye be correct there, lass. Tis only about a two day travel from here provided ye stick to the main road and don't run into any trouble."

"Wow, thanks mister," Arche said excitedly. "But um… why are you helping us?"

"Well, I used to be a fine sailor in me youth. Captained one of the finest crafts to ever sail the Ragdoll Straits! And you two… well, call it an old seadog's intuition, but you look like the adventuring types. And to that I say you should always follow your heart lassie! Can't ever lead you wrong! Yarhahar!"

"Wow, thanks a lot! So do you have any cool sailor stories? What's it like at-?"

"Arche, we should really get going… Um, thanks again mister," Sana said politely.

"Aye and you two be careful. And if you ever run into trouble, just let 'em know old Cliff sent you! That should set 'em straight!"

"Thanks again! Alright Sana, let's head out!" Arche ran off, leaving Sana to try and keep up. As they headed out the western exit of the town, they slowed their pace and kept on high alert. The monsters around these parts were much stronger than the ones on the path to the school. Thankfully, the two were rather seasoned in fighting the local monsters, and were able to make quick work of them as they made their way northward. Of course, fate would not allow them such an easy task.

The North Chartreux Guard post was the dividing line between the southern and northern half of the country and was the only path leading to the capital city of Scotshold without having to trek the dangerous wilds. There, two guards were blocking the gate necessary for Arche and Sana to proceed.

"Wha!? What do you mean no?"

"I'm sorry. But without proper documentation, we cannot allow you to cross, no matter the circumstances," the guard on the left said.

"But… but it's really important! Like, super important!"

"I'm sorry. But rules are rules, and we can't bend them for anyone," the guard on the right said. "Forgive us, but we cannot let you pass."

"Oh no… what do we do now?"

"Maybe we should head back, Arche," Sana suggested, looking just as depressed as Arche.

"But… but Chiffon is getting further and further away! We can't give up now!"

"Honestly, do you ever think these things through? I'm almost ashamed to be considered your classmate you know!" Both girls turned to the sight of another walking towards them, a haughty air about the young girl. "Really now…"

"Stella!? What are you doing here," Arche asked surprised.

"Come now, you don't really think I wouldn't have noticed you in Chartreux? And considering that Chiffon isn't with you, well… anyway, we should discuss this in private." Stella walked up to the guards and reached into her bag, pulling out three slips of paper. "Here you are. I trust everything should be in order?"

One of the guards took the papers, looking them over. He showed them to the other guard as they talked briefly among themselves for a few moments. "I see… well, everything checks out then. You three are free to pass."

"Naturally," Stella said flipping her hair back. "Come along then, Arche, Sana. I do believe we have someone to catch up to." Stella quickly made her way through, leaving Arche and Sana to try and catch up. Once they were a good distance away, Stella spoke up again, "Honestly you two…"

"Stella… how did you know to come here? And that we would need those passes," Sana asked.

"Well, I was on my way to school when I noticed you in town. You seemed to be asking a lot of questions about boats so I figured you two were looking for a way to Russbourg. I went back to the manor and Rowen already had the passes waiting. I honestly don't know when he could have prepared them, but I was grateful all the same. Mary then went to explain our absence at school. Apparently the story will be that I had a family emergency and that you two came along for moral support as my friends."

"Wow! That's great thinking Stella," Arche praised while the young female leading them gave a smirk of self-satisfaction. "Now we can get Chiffon back and not have to worry about being punished!"

"No, it won't be that easy. That story might not be so easily believed if we don't come back soon enough. And I doubt we will be coming back anytime soon," Stella said in all seriousness.

"Why is that," Sana asked confused.

"You both should know why. It's not like Chiffon was captured or anything like that. He went with Griff of his own violation. Honestly I was expecting that Arche would have gone with them last night if what I overheard you two talking about was true. But this isn't something that can be solved with just Chiffon alone. Wherever Griff is going, I have a feeling we need to go as well."

"But why? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to go on that adventure, but… I mean, I wouldn't expect that I would go now. Maybe when I'm older…"

"In Chiffon's memory, Minasa-Ratis left him to guard your Elemental Stone Arche. And it might have been that my Elemental Stone might have been left to my family for safekeeping as well, considering the fact that my father lied about making it himself for my mother. Which I still need to talk to him about," she muttered just loudly enough for her companions to hear. "In any case, the Dark Witch wanted these stones badly, enough to trap our school in that alternate dimension. I think these stones might be the key to whatever this riddle is."

Arche merely nodded. She wasn't entirely sure about everything that Stella was saying, but she trusted her friend was onto something. For now, she would settle for reuniting with Chiffon. As they continued their trek, Arche noticed a disturbing lack of monsters around. Normally there were a few that roamed the paths, though they predominantly made their nests further into the wilderness. However, they had traveled for nearly an hour without so much as seeing a single slime.

Arche was about to voice her concerns, when her warrior's sense was telling her something was wrong. "Stella watch out!" Arche pushed Stella down, falling on top of her just as a pair of arrows flew overhead. Sana quickly took a defensive stance, looking about for their attackers. Looking up, she saw a pair of kobolds in the trees, bows and arrows in hand. She prepared a shield spell in case they fired again.

"Well, that was pretty good," a rough voice said as another kobold, wearing what looked like a martial arts outfit, dropped from another tree to block their path. "Alright, so here's how it's gonna go! You kids aren't going anywhere till you pay the toll, got it? So leave all your shiny things behind and get lost before me and my boys have to rough you up good!"

"Hmph! Clearly you don't know who you are dealing with," Stella said picking herself up and dusting off her clothes. Arche drew her sword readying herself for the upcoming fight.

"Tch. Fine, but don't go saying we didn't warn ya!" The two kobolds in the trees fired their arrows, being deflected by Sana's shield spell. Arche charged forwards with a battle cry, the kobold directly in front of her raising his fists in defense. The ones firing arrows were the more difficult ones to take out, as they used the trees for cover and Stella could not simply set them on fire lest she burn down the surroundings. Thankfully, Sana's water and ice magic were able to flush them out of hiding.

It didn't take much longer before the three monsters ran with their tails between their legs, a parting cry of 'We'll be back!' before they retreated deeper into the wilderness. "And stay down! Uncultured ruffians," Stella said, putting her dagger away. "We lost a bit of time there… it should only be a few hours more till we reach Scotshold. Hopefully we can make it before sundown."

"Don't worry Stella, we have plenty of time," Arche said, never losing confidence. Idly she wondered if Griff would let Chiffon go, or even allow them to come with him, without a fight. Either way, she knew that she couldn't underestimate him again. _Don't worry Chiffon! I'm coming!_

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile…<em>

"So, I've finally arrived, huh. Man that took a bit longer than I would have liked." Elan stood before the gates to the town where his master resided. It was still early enough in the morning not to need to find a place to stay, which meant that he could begin his search right away. And considering that his master was also a priest like him, the local church would be the perfect starting point.

Truthfully, the town seemed much smaller than he thought it would be. It was clear that they didn't get too many visitors out here, and there wasn't much besides some ruins and jungles nearly to explore. He supposed that every once in a while some people seeking to explore such places would show up, but it wasn't anything like Pensee which had multitudes of dungeons to explore nearby that apparently ran on some 'system' that was monitored by golems of some sort. Arma had tried to piece together everything to them, at least those Adventurers who had Recette as a client, but most of it seemed to fly over his head. He was pretty sure that of them all only Griff and Caillou understood more than half of what she was saying.

Well, that was neither here nor there he decided, as he made his way to the church. And standing before it was a rather familiar sight that he couldn't help but smirk. "Oy, old man! You're looking well for your age!"

The man in question was a dark-skinned, bald man wearing a similar outfit to Elan, though he looked more like a bodybuilder of some kind than an actual priest of the faith. He turned to see who had called, and was surprised by what he saw, though he quickly formed a smile of his own. "Well, I'll be! Looks like you've been doing well for yourself these long years, kid! You finally able to hold your liquor?"

"You can say that," Elan said, reaching out to shake the man's hand. Both grinned as they squeezed as hard as they could, trying to outdo the other. "Geez, all this time and you still don't let up, do you?"

"Never kid! Life is training; I taught you that much I'm sure!" The older man, though still smiling, had a wistful expression in his eyes. "But, something tells me this isn't a social visit, is it. Everything ok with you?"

"Personally? Yeah, I'm doing fine. But your right, I did come to seek some of your wisdom, master," Elan said all seriousness. "You think we can find a place to sit down and talk this over?"

"Sure thing. My place isn't too far from here. Figures you might want a strong drink seeing as the only place that serves drinks here won't be opening for quite a while." The two headed off to discuss what Elan had wanted to talk about. Soon after they reached the older priest's home did Elan's master proceed to open up a bottle and pour them each a strong drink. "Right then, what's got you all worried?"

With that, Elan began to tell his mentor about what he and Caillou had discussed concerning the weakening power of the Elementals. Though most of it was Caillou's own theories about why it may have happened and possible ideas to resolve things. Throughout the conversation, Elan hardly took a drink from his own cup, though his mentor had no problems in refilling his twice. After everything was explained to the best of his abilities, Elan's master stroked his chin, thinking hard about the situation.

"Well… you are right in thinking that there isn't much we can do. Men of the faith we may be, but our talents in magic are almost nonexistent. Ordinarily, this is where I would say to simply pray and let the gods handle it, but… well, you're in luck. Not that long ago there was an incident nearby. Some travelers had managed to settle it rather well. A young adventurer and a fairy if I recall," he said. Elan looked at him in surprise.

"Seriously?"

"Of course! Brave one that she was," the older man said with a laugh. "Perhaps they would be able to shed some new light on the situation. No doubt they may have some better understanding of what's happening if what your friend said was true."

"Don't worry; I can trust Caillou's words. So where are they now?"

"Took up residence with the owner of the Item Shop in town. Believe me, I would have thought they would have left by now, but it looks like they are staying for the foreseeable future."

"Alright, thanks old timer," Elan said playfully, taking his untouched drink and downing the entire contents in one go. "It was good seeing you again you know."

"Of course! Looks like you just might be on your way to a new adventure. Just be sure to come back and visit again, you hear? I'd like to know how my favorite pupil is doing." Elan resisted pointing out the fact that he was perhaps the only pupil he had that endured the hellish training to the very end. Instead he thanked him once more and made his way towards the local Item Shop. He was sure he saw it near the town square.

Once there, he headed inside, where a middle-aged woman kindly greeted him. "Welcome! I see you are a new face here. My name is Aria and this is my shop. May I help you with anything," she asked, giving a polite bow.

"Ah, maybe you can. I'm not exactly looking for items though. Rather, I'm searching for someone."

"Oh? Pardon, but you seem… similar to someone I know. Are you perhaps related to the priest here?"

"Er, not really," he said, unable to imagine what that would be like to have his master as a relative. "Anyway, the ones I'm looking for are also not from around here. An adventurer and a fairy," he inquired, looking at her steadily.

"Oh! You must mean Chante and Elise. Well, they aren't here at the moment… I'm not sure when they will be back either. I'm sorry. But, if you don't mind me asking, why are you looking for them?"

_Chante and Elise, huh… interesting names,_ Elan thought. "Well, you see, the thing is-."

"Hey! We're back Aria! Fire up those grills cause we got a bunch of live ones!" Both people turned to see a rather young woman with a sword strapped to her back walk in, carrying a net that was filled with fish. She wore a red leather jacket and brown skirt, with boots that looked slightly worn from years of travel. Floating just besides her was a fairy with green hair and wearing a similar styled set of clothes to the girl she was with. "Huh? Who the heck are you," the fairy asked rather rudely.

"Chante, please," the girl said with a sigh. "He's obviously a costumer. I'm sorry; she can be a little… blunt at times. My name is Elise. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, so you are Chante and Elise then," Elan said sizing the two up. The girl seemed to remind him of Louie in a way, as she carried her sword with a type of confidence that could only be born through the heat of many battles. "Well, this makes things easier for me then. I was looking for the two of you."

"Huh? What you looking for a fight," the fairy, Chante, said. "Cause just so you know, I may be small, but that doesn't mean I can't kick you right in the b-!"

"Chante! Stop jumping to conclusions like that!"

_Geez, are all fairies like this? Granted the only other ones I've met were Tear and Prime…_ Indeed, he couldn't begin to imagine either of those two resorting to things like violence as easily as this one did. Then again, Tear, at least from what he knew, didn't need things like fighting to get her point across. Especially when it came to the wellbeing of Recette and their shop. As for Prime, he couldn't say that he knew her in particular. Though he may have managed to see her once or twice at Recettear, most of what he knew about her came from Recette and Tear's accounts of meeting her.

"What is with all the yelling!? I'm trying to concentrate up here!" Elan turned to the sound of the new voice to see another fairy descend from a set of stairs. This one had red hair and looked to be wearing some sort of purple robes befitting a spell-caster of sorts. "My work is delicate and I can't focus with all this racket!"

"Sorry Elma," Elise said, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"Oh, another fairy? This is new," Elan said looking at the newcomer.

"Ah? Hmm…" The new fairy flew close to Elan, observing him carefully. "You… have made contact with fairies before, haven't you?" Elma nodded in self-satisfaction. "Yeah, definitely! I can sense small traces of magic around you from an actual fairy!"

"Well, I do know of a fairy if that's what you mean," Elan said slightly uncomfortable at the red-haired fairy's proximity. "But I don't- wait, what do you mean by 'actual' fairy? Aren't you a fairy too?"

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt," Elise said, keeping an eye on Chante who was still staring at Elan suspiciously, "but you said you needed to see us about something?"

"Ah right, almost forgot about that. You see, I'm looking for clues about the decline of the elementals. I've heard that fairies might know something about this so I was wondering if you noticed anything strange."

"Really," Elise said confused while Chante thought about it. "That's news to me."

"Well, can't say I know anything about that," Chante said with a carefree attitude. "This is the first I've heard about it too."

"Honestly, you seem to be a disgrace to the race of the fae," Elma said. "I've noticed it myself, but-."

"Well excuse me for worrying about more important things! Like how to get to my old self again," Chante yelled out.

Elan at this point was rather confused by everything. Perhaps sensing this, Aria spoke up again. "Well, perhaps it's best if we all sat down and had something to eat. I'm sure after that we can discuss these things like the civilized people we are," she said, giving a motherly-like glare to the two fairies. They both backed down, though Chante mumbled something under her breath that thankfully no one caught.

Roughly one tense hour later, the remains of their fish lunch were being cleaned away, no one speaking for a bit. Elise and Aria were sitting with Chante and Elma on their respective shoulders. "Right, so we may have started this off on the wrong foot. I suppose I should introduce myself first. I'm Elan, an adventurer and priest of the town Pensee."

"Pensee, huh? That's pretty far from here," Elise said. "Well, I'm Elise as you may have well known, and this is my sister, Chante," she said gesturing to the fairy on her shoulder. "We are travelers of sorts. I guess that would be the most accurate thing to say about us."

"I am Elma, Aria's sister," the red-haired fairy spoke up. "Professional sorceress and potion maker. At least, before all this," she said wistfully.

"Pardon my asking, but how exactly does one have a fairy for a sister," Elan asked confused. He knew that Recette liked to think of Tear as a sibling she never had, or at least that was what Charme had once drunkenly mentioned in passing. Perhaps it was the same feeling?

"Well, to answer that, we are cursed people," Elma said rather nonchalantly. "From what I know, me and Chante here underwent a curse that causes fairy-fication. We used to be humans, but are now for all intent and purposes, fairies. We thought we had removed the curse already by cutting off the source, but it seems that it hasn't reversed yet. Still trying to figure out why though."

Elan frowned. He had never heard of such a magic before. It definitely didn't seem normal, and he wondered if Caillou might know something about it. It would definitely be worth asking. "That… I'm not really sure how to feel about that. I've never known anyone who was cursed before."

"It's fine. We aren't here to discuss our problems. You came here concerned about the weakening elementals, yes?" Elan nodded in response, to which Elma continued, "Well, though I am aware of such things, I can't exactly say I know more than what you might know. But it might have to do with the Elemental Kings."

"Elemental Kings? I've never heard of those."

"Well, basically you can consider them to be like the rulers of all elementals. Of course, their powers are on an even greater scale than ordinary elementals as well. They keep the balance of the world steady. As it stands, something must have happened to them."

"But what could possibly kill something like that," Elan wondered, more to himself than anything.

"Well, they can't be killed," Chante explained, now resting on Elise's head. "You can seal them up or take away their powers but you can't kill an Elemental King. They just become reborn. Which definitely means that someone or something is purposefully targeting them knowing what will happen." For a few moments no one said anything, but everyone in the room was staring at the green-haired fairy. "What!? I can know things too you know! Are you saying I'm stupid!?"

"Nothing of the sort," Elma said quickly, turning away. "Anyway I'm not sure how we can help, all things considering."

"What are you talking about," Chante said raising her fist into the air. "All we gotta do is find the guys who are doing this and whack! And Thwack! Beat them up good!"

"I don't think it will be as easy as that Chante," Elise said somewhat embarrassed by her sister's antics.

"Well in either case why not come back with me to Pensee," Elan offered. "At the very least, I need to meet with my friend Caillou to discuss everything. And he might be able to do something about your curse."

"Really? You really think so," Chante said excited by the prospect.

"Well, he is an accomplished magician so…"

"Sweet! Elise let's get ready! We definitely got to go!"

"Calm down Chante," Aria said smiling. "At the very least, let's show Elan our hospitality for tonight. You can go in the morning once everything is taken care of tonight."

"Sounds great! I'll bring the booze," Elan said excited.

"Oh yeah! Watch the fairy drink you under the table," Chante challenged.

"Fool! Do you have any idea what alcohol does to fairies," Elma shouted at her.

Elan smiled, despite the fact that he hadn't learned too much about the situation with the elementals, but he felt that the two were trustworthy enough to bring back. They might even be able to help them in some way. _Wonder what Recette and Tear would think of them,_ he thought to himself. He especially wondered how Tear and Chante would interact. Perhaps things would be looking up after all.


	5. A Reason for Secrets

_A/N: Warning! The following Chapter may contain actual plot and relevance to future chapters. Enjoy!  
><em>

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 5: A Reason for Secrets<strong>_

"So, this is Scotshold! My, what a lively place," Stella said, looking over the small city. Various tall buildings could be seen everywhere, stretching out high into the sky. The bustling sound of people going about their daily lives filled the air. "This places makes Chartreux seem like Tonkiness in comparison."

"Yeah… to be honest, I never really liked this place too much. It always felt really crowded," Arche said.

"Wait, you lived here Arche," Sana asked surprised.

"You never mentioned that," Stella said accusingly. "And here I thought we were friends."

"Eh? I thought I mentioned it before. My dad worked as a royal guard here, so we lived here, at least for a while."

"Then, did you ever go into the magic academy here? It's supposed to be one of the best in the country," Stella asked, somewhat jealous.

"No, no," Arche denied, shaking her hands. "Our family has never had that much money to be honest, so my parents couldn't afford to send me there. I went to a regular school here instead."

"Well… I guess that explains why you didn't have your own elemental stone when you started school with us," Sana said. "Um, do you think your old house is still here?"

"Maybe. But I think someone else lives there now. Anyway, we got to find Griff and Chiffon! So let's head to the inn!" Arche led the way, more familiar with the layout of the city than the others. Most people didn't bother to notice them as they walked through the streets. Sana was rather fascinated by everything, looking around the city in wonder. She had never seen such sights before. Stella had been here once before, when her father had shown her where he worked on producing the vast amounts of elemental stones that his company provided to the public. Her reactions were less obvious than Sana's but she was still impressed by how the people here lived their lives. She noticed that there were many more guards patrolling the streets here compared to anywhere else.

Arriving at the inn, the three immediately sought a room for them. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know of a dark-skinned man staying here? He might have had a pet with him," Stella mentioned to the innkeeper, a rather young looking male.

"Hm… ah, yes, I think we did have someone like that check in. Just this morning actually," he said.

"Really!? Is he here now? What room is he in," Arche asked excitedly.

"Um… well, I don't think he's here now. He left almost as soon as he got here."

"Darn… guess we have to come back later then," Arche said. "Now what do we do?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I need to head to father's company. It's about time he answered a few questions I had," Stella said.

"You think we can come along? I don't really know where anything is here," Sana said somewhat worried. The thought of wondering the city, exciting as it might have been, also sent a quiver of fear through her that she could get lost and separated from her friends.

"I… suppose it wouldn't hurt. You might as well see the amazingness of my family's legacy," Stella said with a smirk. With that, Stella led them out of the inn and back into the streets of Scotshold. Journeying towards the more industrial side of the city, there were clearly less citizens and more guards and workers as they made their way to a rather large facility that seemed to stand out from the others. The guards at the gate stopped them from going further.

"Excuse me, but what business do children have here? Unless you work here or have an appointment, then I suggest you leave. This place can be dangerous."

"Ah, if I recall you two are… Tony and Dillan, correct? It's been some time since I last saw you two. Working hard I see?"

"Huh… oh! Miss Mayberk, I almost didn't recognize you," the guard on the right, Tony, said. The other guard also had a moment of recognition. "You've definitely grown up a bit, haven't you? But why are you here anyway?"

"I am here to see my father. So if you would kindly open the gate and let us pass…"

Both guards looked a bit worried at that statement, looking at each other in slight confusion. "Well… should we even…?"

"I think so… she should know," the other said.

"Right. Just step inside and ask the secretary for Mr. Gillian. He'll be able to explain everything," Dillan said. The gate was opened for them, Stella having a slightly confused look on her face at the two guards' mysterious conversation, before heading inside, quickly followed by Sana and Arche.

Once inside, they entered the reception area, where a young lady was behind a counter, looking over some paperwork. "Um, excuse us," Sana said as Arche looked around and Stella made sure she wouldn't run off where she wasn't supposed to, "we're looking for a mister Gillian?"

"Hm? And why do you want to see him? Say who are you three anyway? Children shouldn't be here."

"I am Stella Mayberk, and we need to see Mister Gillian to speak with him about my father," Stella said, tired of having to explain herself. She was surprised when the young lady started to laugh. "H-hey! What's so funny?"

"Ah I'm sorry, but you are Mr. Mayberk's kid? Likely story. You can't honestly expect me to believe that, right?"

"What! I'll have you know-!"

"That's enough, Miss Stella. A proper lady shouldn't raise her voice like that." Everyone turned to see a young man with dark hair combed straight back step through a nearby door. "Truth to be told, I have been expecting your arrival for some time now. Please, right this way," he said, letting them head through. "Also, Miss Bell," he said, addressing the secretary who had stiffened at his words, "since this is the first time you've met her, I will excuse your actions this one time. Please do not let it happen again."

"Y-yes sir!"

Satisfied with her answer, the man led them through a hallway and past a door at the end of it to a furnished office. The man stepped behind the desk there, sitting down. "Please, take a seat." The three girls did so, with Arche looking at a nameplate on the desk that read 'Mr. Mayberk'. "I trust you have many questions, Miss Stella. I will try to answer them all."

"Well, the first and most important one is where is my father," Stella asked. "That's his desk you're sitting in after all. I doubt you'd have the nerve to do so unless there was a good reason."

"Yes, the first question undoubtedly is the hardest to answer… unfortunately, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but your father isn't here. To be completely honest… he hasn't been here for nearly three months now." Silence greeted his ears before the next predictable action took place.

"WHAT!?"

"Yes… well, perhaps I should explain everything from the beginning? You see, several months ago I noticed your father was filling out quite a bit of paperwork unrelated to the company, or so I managed to peak at. It seems he has been planning this trip for quite some time. Then, roughly three months ago he gave me a letter to mail to you and officially made me in charge of running the company since you were still too young. As it is now, only a select few people know of this. Aside from a few trustworthy and important people, no one else knows that Mr. Mayberk isn't here right now. He also has no made contact with us since leaving the company in my care."

Stella was in a state of shock, unable to process this all. She felt like fainting, and only sheer willpower allowed her to keep conscious. Seeing her friend in such a state, Sana asked, "But where did he go? And why did he go?"

"I can't possibly know the answer to the second one. He didn't explain that to me or anyone else as far as I'm aware. And though I don't know exactly where he was planning to go, at the very least I was able to puzzle out he was heading to Abyssinia."

"That far," Arche asked surprised. "But… what's even there?"

"Again, I can't fathom what he was seeking. But it was clear that he felt it important enough to head there himself. Miss Stella… I will continue to keep this company running, until your father returns home. Unless of course, you have any other suggestions?"

"No, no… can you just… give me a moment?"

"Of course. Feel free to leave at any time you're ready." The man, Mr. Gillian, stood up. "If you will excuse me." With that, he walked out the door, leaving the three to themselves.

"Stella…" For a moment, she said nothing, but instead collapsed into her chair, as if the weight of the world suddenly bore down on her shoulders. "Wah! Are you ok," Arche said getting up and coming to her side, Sana following suit.

"I'm fine… no, forget that, I am completely not fine. All this stress seems to finally be catching up to me," Stella said, thinking about what the man had said. Three months was roughly around the same time that Stella had gotten her last letter from her father. He had apparently sent it to ease her worries, probably thinking that he would return in time to send his next letter to her. He always sent mail every few months, especially when his work was taking him a long time to complete. Instead, he was now somewhere in Abyssinia, and while the war between them and Scotsholm was over, it didn't mean it was a safe place for someone of his importance to be roaming about.

Of course, Stella had full confidence that he was fine and whatever it was that was holding him up would be resolved as soon as he could get to it. But deep within her heart, a tiny fear was brewing. A fear that she might truly never see her father again. Though work had always kept him away for months at a time, Stella never hated her father for it. Growing up, she always admired both her parents for what they accomplished and though she had lost her mother, she was grateful to having a father, even if he wasn't always around. Losing him meant being completely alone, and though Rowen and Mary were people she cared deeply for, they simply could not replace the space in her heart where her parents lay.

"Stella?" Stella turned her head to face Arche, who was watching her with some concern. "Um, what are you gonna do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, are you gonna look for your dad? Cause Sana and I will totally help after we get Chiffon back," Arche offered. Sana nodded in confirmation with a determined smile on her face.

Stella blinked a few times before giving a rather gentle smile. "Thank you Arche. I needed that." With a determined motion, she hopped off the chair and straightened her dress. "But, I am sure my father is doing fine. I'll believe in him a little longer. Besides, we still have to see about following Griff to wherever he came from. The situation with my father will have to wait, for now anyway."

"Are you sure Stella," Sana asked.

"Positively. We shouldn't get distracted from our goal. Now then, we should at least check back at the inn." With their priorities set, the three girls left the office and made their way out of the building. Passing by the secretary, they noticed that she was doing her very best not to look at them. The guards outside gave a friendly wave to them as they headed back to the inn. A bit before reaching it though, what they saw caused Arche to perk up and go running.

"Mr. Griff!"

Griff turned his head in surprise as Arche came running up to him, followed by Sana and Stella. He looked in shock, then annoyance as he recognized the three. "What in the world are you three doing here?"

"We came for Chiffon of course," Stella explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right! Where Chiffon goes, I go too," Arche declared. "Where is he?"

Griff gave a sigh, not wanting to deal with them right now. "He's resting in my room. Which I won't be staying in for too long. I plan to leave tonight. Bad enough I had to prepare my supplies in the day," he grumbled. He really didn't like some of the stares he had gotten. "You really are determined to see this through to the end?"

"Yes," Sana said. "We thought about it enough on the way here. We won't abandon Chiffon."

Griff stared at the three of them, his expression betraying nothing. _These three… _ "Very well then. I suppose at this point trying to stop you would be pointless. Follow me." With that, he turned and headed inside, leading them to the third floor. Once there, Griff opened the door to reveal Chiffon floating about, observing everything.

"Chiffon!"

"Arche!?" Chiffon turned in time to receive a massive hug from Arche. "Arche, why are you here?"

"I came here looking for you," Arche said, holding him up. "Do you know how worried I was?"

Chiffon's expression seemed to deflate at this. "I'm sowwy Arche. Please don't be mad at me," he said as tears threatened to fall. He was rather surprised to see the forming of tears in Arche's eyes though.

"Oh Chiffon… I'm not mad." She gave him another hug to reassure him. "I was really worried, especially cause you didn't tell me where you were going. But I could never be mad at you."

"I hate to ruin the moment," Griff said, in a tone that suspiciously sounded like he, in fact, did not seem to care that he was ruining the moment, "but I would suggest that you all get some rest. I plan to leave at night, and I am not waiting up for you. I'll drag the Elemental myself if I have to, since he agreed to coming with me in the first place."

"Killjoy," Stella muttered.

"Um, Mr. Griff, why do we have to leave at night? Aren't the monsters more active on the roads during the night," Sana questioned. This was indeed an important point. Most monsters thrived under the cover of darkness to hide their motives.

"As a demon, I simply prefer the cover of darkness. That is all," he said. Not that those monsters would be any problem for him. Most of them had completely avoided him on the journey here, leaving only the strongest of them to try and stop him. In a sense, he wondered if the monsters here were somewhat more intelligent than the ones that roamed the dungeons near Pensee, as they seemed to attack without question. Then again, it was likely the relentlessness of those monsters was why those dungeons were considered dangerous in the first place.

"Well, I guess that's ok… Come on Chiffon, let's go to our room and rest up for the trip!"

"Indeed. With everything that's happened today, I do feel unusually tired," Stella said, not wanting to skip this chance to relax.

Griff watched them leave as they said their goodnights to him, though he didn't respond in kind. He was busy thinking over everything that happened as he closed the door and allowed himself to rest on his bed for the afternoon. _Damn it all… just what have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

><p>Far, far away from the three girls, a somewhat familiar face to them was walking down a path, a cloak covering most of the person's body. Their hood was up, but if one looked closely, they could make out a feminine face with blond hair and pointed ears that marked her as a non-human. Soon enough she reached the entrance to a cave, covered in raw elemental stones, or as some of the natives of the land called them, Magic Crystals. The appearance of them would be tempting, but she knew better. Raw Magic Crystals could be volatile if mishandled, and at best they were good for only a one-time use unless they were 'processed' into Elemental Stones first.<p>

Still, their appearance around the cave meant that she had reached her destination at last; the largest dungeon managed by the Pensee Adventurer's Guild, the Lapis Ruins. She frowned. From here it would be a long journey into its depths. But what lay at the end was something her 'Master' wanted and she had to get to it one way or another.

Given that she had never been here before, it would definitely take some time, especially since coming to this continent she found that most of the monsters here wouldn't obey her will. If she could control them it would have been an easy task to undertake. But something about these dungeons prevented her from using her magic to alter the monsters' loyalties.

It was of no consequence to her, either way. With a determined look, the Dark Witch made her way into the dungeon.

Dungeon Progress: Floor one out of one hundred…


	6. Onward, to Pensee!

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 6: Onward, to Pensee!**_

* * *

><p>"Hyah!" Elan charged forwards his fist slamming into the flying eyeball monster in front of him with a powerful force, knocking it back some distance before it seemed to dissolve and small magic crystals burst from its body. The crystals hovered in the air for a moment before flying towards Elan where upon contact they seemed to vanish once again. Looking around, he gave a deep breath and smiled. "Well, that takes care of them."<p>

"Yeah," Elise said, having finished dealing with her own foe. Deciding to stray off the main path in order to save time might not have been the wisest idea. Thankfully, they were due to hit the main road again soon, which meant the monster attacks would come less frequently. "You're pretty strong. I'd hate to have to fight you," she said good naturedly.

"Try freakishly strong," Chante said, still in some disbelief of the display of power she witnessed. "I didn't think it was possible to punch that hard. How the heck do you do it?"

"Training. Lots of training," Elan said. He picked up his pack from where he placed it, slinging it over his shoulder. "Come on, we should hurry. Hopefully we can make it to the next town soon."

"Ugh, I hope so. I'm sick of camping out all the time! I want a bed," Chante practically whined, already missing the comforts of civilization despite having traveled for only a few days.

"Relax Chante, its nothing we haven't dealt with before. In fact we've certainly dealt with worse," Elise said, thinking of those times they had been forced into impromptu shelters due to the weather.

"Please don't remind me."

"Well, you two sure are a lively couple, I'll say," Elan said, smiling. "It must be nice, having a sibling you can rely on."

"It definitely has its moments," Elise said, as Chante rested on her shoulder.

"Hey, by the way, I've been meaning to ask you something," Chante said, looking in Elan's direction. "Why do you absorb those Magic Crystals anyway?"

"Hm? You mean you don't know," Elan asked surprised. It seemed like such a common thing to him, like one of those things all adventurers seemed to know on instinct.

"I must admit, I am curious too. You don't seem to utilize them the way Chante and I do," Elise said.

"Ah well… most of us adventurers absorb them for their power. You see, absorbing them allows a person to grow stronger. Of course, the stronger you become the less of an effect each one has, so you need more and more of them to keep getting stronger. You follow?"

"I think so… its certainly different from how Chante and I use them."

"Yup! You see, each one of those crystals holds an elemental power in them! Beings of high magical potency like myself can unlock the magic within them. I suppose it's one kind of perk to being a fairy," Chante said. "I unlock the magic within them and transfer the power to Elise so together we cast magic spells."

"I see… that's interesting."

"Well, it's not like that makes me a magician or anything," Elise said, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. "I mean, I don't have any natural ability to use magic, so everything is with Chante's help. And of course, each stone is very unstable. We can only get one 'charge' of magic energy from each stone before they break and are useless. But it also allows us to combine the elemental properties to create brand new types of magic."

Elan whistled, clearly impressed. "Wow, talk about powerful. I suppose that makes you a magical swordswoman, right?" Elise blushed, embarrassed by the title, even if it did fit somewhat.

"Hey, hey, watch it creep. Just because you're being nice doesn't mean you get a free pass or anything," Chante said, flying over to Elan and staring him down. "I've got my eye on you."

"Ok, ok, I get it," Elan said holding up his hands in defeat. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just wonder what Caillou would make of it."

"You've mentioned him before," Elise said, eager to lead the conversation into less awkward territory. "He's your magician friend, right? You really think he can help us?"

"Yeah. And I'm certain he can at least try. He'd definitely one of the smartest guys I know, at least when it comes to this magical stuff. Even if he can't help you directly, he'd likely know someone who can."

"Aw man, this will be great! To be human again, I can't wait! Oh, why does Pensee have to be so far," Chante said frustrated. Elise giggled at her antics, but was no less excited. After all, she also wanted to see the end of her sister's curse.

Unknown to them, however, they were being watched from afar by two figures. One was a tall person covered head to toe in black armor, the helm having two curved horn-like protrusions. The armor gave nothing away to the person's identity, as they stood stiffly gazing to the three. The other was clearly male, though he seemed almost two heads shorter than the armored individual. His chest was bare, wearing only dark green pants and boots. Several markings covered his torso, and his face was hidden behind a tribal-looking mask. In one hand was a dagger, and in the other was a blowpipe.

"Hehehe… I only came to check on you, but it seems we found some fun toys to play with!" The armored person said nothing, prompting the masked man to continue, "Well, whatever! They are strong, right? That's all that matters. They might just get in our way. We should kill them now."

"No," the armored one said, the voice deep but slightly distorted. "We are risking too much as it is. Right now, they are headed to where Selene is. We have other duties to attend to."

"Oh man, her," the masked one said in obvious disgust. "She's practically a child! Didn't she get reprimanded with that side project of hers in Scotsholm? I swear, if it wasn't for her magic…"

"She is a valuable necessity. Demon magic is by far one of the most potent types. Besides, she knows better than to jeopardize the mission for anything personal."

"Speaking of which, how is your mission going? Have you already got that power yet?"

"No. It appears that once again, I was a bit too late." The armored person pointed to the group of three traveling. "The girl and the fairy dispatched it already."

"What!? Are you kidding me," the masked man said in disbelief. "She's practically a kid! Are you trying to tell me that a kid managed to defeat an Arch-Devil?" His companion said nothing, prompting him to rant more. "Well that's just great! First the one in the tower is supposed to be freed from a weakening seal, when in fact someone _reinforced_ the thing before we could get to it, and now the other one has been defeated already! Arch-Devils don't grow on trees you know! It's gonna take me ages to find another one!"

"Your outbursts are not helping. In times like these we must remain focused. The goal is still in sight, and so long as the last two Elemental Kings are not within our grasp, we have ample time. Still it would be best if we rushed a bit."

"Will they be a threat," the masked man asked seriously, all pretense of his somewhat childlike personality gone. "The priest alone is fairly strong, but the girl…"

"It's still too early to be sure. For now though, I will make my way to Pensee. Perhaps I can assist Selene once there."

"I'd rather wish you wouldn't," the masked one said, before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, suit yourself. I'll keep searching then." The armored one nodded before turning and walking away. The man looked to where he had last seen the three travelers. They were gone now, but it didn't stop him for giggling to himself. "Well, finally some strong, worthy ones. Still to have been taken notice by the Dark Knight… how unlucky."

With that, he too disappeared into the wilderness.

* * *

><p>"Wow! So cool!"<p>

"It's big! And blue!"

"Arche, get down from there! You're going to fall off!" Stella was busy yelling at Arche, who was standing on a post by the water's edge. Though Sana wasn't as risky with her sightseeing of the Ragdoll Straits, she was also impressed by the clear waves crashing into the shore.

"Just think Chiffon, there's a whole big world out there to explore! This is gonna be amazing!"

"I'm really excited Arche," Chiffon said zooming out over the water and back to her. The breeze here carried some of the saltiness of the sea, but that didn't make it any less relaxing to him.

"If you are quite done," Griff said, trying his very hardest not to shout, "we need to get to the ferry soon. They are departing this afternoon and I refuse to be stuck here for however long it will take for the next boat to arrive now that I know I don't have to wait."

Arche pouted, but descended anyway, opting to follow Griff for now. Their journey to Russbourg went surprisingly smoothly. Almost no monsters bothered them on their nighttime trip, though that didn't stop Sana from shaking at the various tricks the darkness played on her mind. Nor did it keep Stella and Arche from being on full alert. The few times monsters, and the occasional ghost, did show up, Griff swiftly took care of the problem. Though it had been only briefly, Arche had almost forgotten just how strong Griff really was.

It really made her wonder how strong other people were from where Griff had come from. The town called Pensee, their current destination, was right across the Straits. According to Griff, it would take about three to four days to cross, then another day of traveling to reach Pensee.

When the time for departure came, Arche could only feel apprehension. This was the first time an adventure of hers would take so long and in such a far off place. Moreover, she was bringing her friends along as well. Granted, she was grateful for them to come, but she still felt slightly guilty that she was taking them away from home. Stella may have had good reason to leave, but Sana was still someone who she felt like she was forcing her to come along.

"I hope you're not thinking of sending us back, Arche," Stella said to the girl who was lost in thoughts.

"Eh!? Stella are you a mind-reader or something?"

"Oh please, it's practically written all over your face. Don't you dare think that after everything we went through together to get here, we are going to back out now. We're with you all the way."

"Stella…" Suddenly Arche gave her a hug, to which the other young girl looked rather uncomfortable to be in. "Thanks! I feel much better now."

"Yes, yes, now can you please let go!"

"What are you two doing? Wait, forget I asked," Griff said shaking his head. "We need to board the ship now." As they made their way to the ship, Arche, Sana and Stella looked around as they saw several boats at the pier, some of them loading and unloading crates filled with who knew what. Griff stepped up to a man wearing a navy blue bandana around his head, who was ordering some men loading up a somewhat smaller vessel, talking to him about boarding. Suddenly the three heard him shout, "WHAT!?"

"You heard me. A thousand copper pieces, not one less."

"Absurd! I was told the return trip would only be one-hundred fifty pieces!"

"Aye, but you have children coming aboard with you this time. You should be lucky I'm allowing you bring them at all, considering."

"Considering what," Griff asked, trying to reel in his anger.

"The sea has been temperamental as of late; rougher waters and even some sightings of monsters in the depths. Unnatural it may be, but most monsters of the deep prefer to stay in the deep. They been getting bolder. I cannot guarantee the safety of my own men, let alone those kids."

"The monsters will not be a problem, I assure you." The biggest problem at this point would be money. While he did have enough to get them all across, he would have to exchange his gold pieces for Pix, the currency Pensee used, afterwards and still hopefully have enough for his return back. He'd definitely have to take a few jobs after all this.

"Oh! Um, mister," Arche said drawing attention to her. "Someone named Cliff said it would be okay to let us ride."

"Say what now? Ol' Cliff said that did he." He shook his head and sighed. "What on earth be that old sea dog thinking…"

"So you know him then," Sana asked.

"Of course, no one here doesn't know that old captain! One of the finest, at least before the incident."

"Incident?"

"No, not my story to tell lass. Ask Ol' Cliff if you ever see him again. Can't be too sure what that senile old man is thinking, letting kids cross the Straits… But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Owe the man that much. You can board, normal fee. As for you, Griff was it? I trust you can keep your word about the monsters."

Griff scoffed. As if he would dare have his word questioned by the likes of a human. The four boarded the ship, as the captain began to yell at the others to hurry with the loading of the cargo. Arche ran up onto the deck and stood at the bow, overlooking the waters. "Alright! We're finally on our way!"

"It's going to be a long journey. Are you prepared," Stella asked.

"I'm kind of scared… but really excited too. To think I'm really doing this though," Sana said nervously.

"The first step is the most difficult in any journey," Griff said approaching them. "From this point on, you had best prepare yourselves for the dangers. Don't think you can rely on me all the time."

"Ok! We're ready to shove off! Next stop, Seasburry of Dalmatia!"

"Onward, to Pensee!"


	7. Illusions of Peace

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 7: Illusions of Peace**_

The morning began as any other. For one Recette Lemongrass, owner of the newly popular Item Shop Recettear, it meant an early wake-up call. Currently, she was washing her face preparing herself to face the day and what it would bring. Drying it with a towel, she looked into the mirror and adjusted the ribbons she used to keep her hair up. Smiling at her appearance, she was feeling rather pumped up to facing the world.

"Ok," she said to herself, looking focused in the mirror. "Another day for business. Time to earn some Pix! Capitalism, ho!"

"If you are quite done motivating yourself for the day, today is Inventory Day," the fairy Tear said entering the restroom, already dressed for the day. "Make sure you have everything."

"Of course! But first, breakfast! Come on Tear," Recette said joyously. Tear could only smile wistfully. It seemed like so long ago that Recette would dread these types of days. Taking stock of everything could be a rather tedious task, and the old Recette would have complained and asked for frequent snack breaks prompting Tear to scold and lecture her. It often meant spending the entire day in the stockroom, without a single Pix to be earned, and they were usually scheduled on days without any outstanding orders.

Perhaps now that the looming debt that her father had unwittingly placed on her shoulders had been left behind her, she could enjoy the simplicities of owning a shop. She certainly made enough to get by and even had the chance to remodel the store to accommodate more inventory to be displayed for sale. They weren't living lavishly by any means, but it was certainly a big step up to when they could only afford to eat porridge most of the week. As proof, what normally now took an entire day to do was manageable in a mere four or five hours.

After a simple meal of oatmeal, juice and half a blueberry muffin (the other half being for Tear), Recette was ready, clipboard in hand, as Tear began to count up stock. It certainly was easier once Tear decided they needed a 'filing system' for finding everything. Before, it would have been easy to miscount how much of something they had and end up being over or understocked when they went out to replenish things. Now that everything had a proper place, they could get through this faster and have more time to prep the shop for business.

Recette focused, making little notes to replenish their supply of Wool Hats, as well as to check up on the prices for metallic objects. A recent ore deposit being found had reduced the prices for things like swords dramatically, so they had to capitalize on it while the deals were still up at the Marketplace. She also made sure she still had the special 'Claw' gauntlet that she had managed to request forged at the Adventurer's Guild, claiming to be a 'Welcome back!' present for when Griff returned. She wanted something for Elan and Caillou as well, but finding the materials for the forging request was the hard part. She made a mental note to request an adventurer for a dungeon exploration in the future.

Taking only a single break to share some Walnut Bread with Tear, the duo were nearly done when Recette checked her watch. Seeing the time, she panicked a bit, placing the clipboard down. "Oh no, I'm gonna be late!"

"What? Recette, where are you going? We're almost done here!"

"Sorry Tear! I almost forgot I'm meeting Louie today and I'm gonna be late!" Racing to her fridge, she pulled out the lunch she had prepared in advance and gathered her things in her travel pack. "I promise I'll finish up as soon as I get back! Thanksgottagobye," she jumbled all at once before racing out the door of the shop, the jingle of the bell in her wake. Tear gazed at the door in slight confusion and exasperation before giving a sigh.

"Merde… that girl." Still she gave a soft smile. Perhaps it was time to admit that indeed she was growing up into a woman, even if she was still technically considered a teen and somewhat naïve. Though she was seeing less and less of that naivety as time went by. Deciding to let it go for now and save the lecture for another day, Tear went to find her feather duster and dust around the shop. It was rather amazing how much dust could settle over the course of a day here.

Recette meanwhile was racing through the town square, bypassing several people, some of whom waved as she went by. As she reached a park near the edge of town, she saw her friend Louie resting against a tree, looking up at some clouds. A squirrel was resting in his hair, but it seemed he hadn't even noticed it. The sight made her giggle, drawing her presence to him. His head turned, causing the furred animal to scamper down his face, to which he sputtered and waved his hands frantically over himself. The sight brought outright laughter.

"Hey, hey! Come on, that's not that funny," Louie said. He wore a thick-layered shirt and pants, a scarf loosely around his neck. One might think it strange he wore such heavy clothing, especially in such a moderate climate that Pensee was known for, but Louie was used to the weight and feel of the wool. Growing up in a much colder and somewhat harsher climate of the far north was a good way to make one appreciate warm clothing.

"Sorry Louie," Recette said, her laughter dying out. "I'm not late am I?"

"Nope! Right on time actually. You ready to start?"

"Yeppers! Let's do it!"

Recette and Louie had been friends for quite some time now, ever since she had first learned of her father's debt to Terme Finance. As an Adventurer looking to make himself known, Recette was Louie's first client to officially obtain an Adventurer's Card allowing him to explore the dungeons managed by Pensee's Adventurer's Guild. And Recette had been the first person Louie had shared that card with, a promise of friendship and understanding between two people who were beginning their life's path. He was an invaluable asset to her and the shop, especially in the early days when the money was budgeted very tightly to ensure she could afford her payments. Even to this day, Louie was the only adventurer who would give her a discount on his services whenever she asked, though Recette was determined to pay him back no matter what. Of course, the same could be said in return for Louie who seemed to be consistently low on money.

Now that things had settled down, both had taken the time to simply hang out with each other, a way to take a rest from the struggles of the day. Eventually though, it resulted in a rather unexpected outcome. Ever since the fiasco with Arma and the Lapis Ruins, Recette lamented how little she could do for someone who had become her friend, even if she was considered only a 'golem'. To her, Arma was Arma and nothing could change that. That was why she had asked Louie about teaching her how to wield a sword. Of course, she knew that others like Elan and Charme would have offered to help her had she asked. But Louie was always considered special to her, who would understand the whys without asking too many awkward questions or suspect her motives.

Of course, he happily agreed. It gave him a bit of a thrill to be teaching someone swordsmanship, almost like he was a master himself. And so their days of training began. It became quite apparent that Recette would not be able to even hold most of the swords Louie used, considering that he could wield heavy broadswords in one hand with his trusty shield in the other. So they settled for lighter short swords, which lacked power but allowed her to stay mobile. Several weeks of on and off training, considering that Recette still had a shop to run and could only schedule training sessions every so often, and Recette was firmly into what could only be called 'amateur' territory. Louie kept her on the absolute basics for the entire time. Holding the blade properly with the right grip and solid footing was more important and valuable than any fancy technique he could show her.

Today they were practicing against a straw dummy. Recette's practice sword was held firmly as Louie corrected her stance. For the most part he let her find her own rhythm for attacking and guarding; speaking out only to give her tips and keep her form proper. After an hour or so they end, mostly because Recette didn't have the strength to carry on. Sure she could carry lots of things in her pack, she was used to it from many dungeon explorations, but simply carrying things wasn't the same as fighting.

Unpacking the lunch she prepared, the two relaxed under the shade of a tree, enjoying the sandwiches Recette had prepared. Louie talked a bit how he was being hired more often by some high-end clients, and talked about getting a rather nice shield he had saw in Recette's store. They talked about Elan and Griff, wondering if they were already on their way back or not. Louie didn't completely dislike Griff. Sure he was rather blunt and tended to rub people the wrong way occasionally, but he was a good sparring partner, especially when one ignored the whole 'human-hating demon' thing. Personally, Louie thought the guy really just needed to relax. Perhaps take up a hobby or something.

Just as things started to wind down, the two were confronted by a young woman wearing a pink kimono-like garment and wielding a lance strapped to her back. "Oh! Recette, how convenient. I was just on my way to your shop," she said.

"Oh, Um, hi Nagi," she said both smiling a bit uncomfortably. Considering that her shop was halfway across town from this location, it seemed that Nagi's infamous 'sense of direction' was still in effect. "Er, well, the shop is closed right now. But I suppose I should go back and open it soon."

"Ah, no need to trouble yourself with that. I was only on my way there to talk to you about something. It's probably best that Louie hears it as well." Suddenly her expression turned somewhat serious. "It's about the dungeons Pensee manages…"

"What about them," Louie asked, concerned at the seriousness of Nagi's words.

"Apparently, they have been becoming a lot more dangerous than before. The Guild Master has already issued out some warnings about newcomer adventurers and such."

"But aren't dungeons always kinda dangerous," Recette mentioned.

"Maybe. But nothing quite like this. I tried looking for Arma to see if she knew anything, but no one has seen her all day. In fact, no one has seen her for the past few days if I recall." Recette frowned. It was true that Arma had been showing up to the shop less and less in recent times. At first she thought that the golem was merely busy, but if something were to really have happened to her again…

"It should be ok. Arma can take care of herself just fine," Louie said reassuringly. "Besides, we adventurers are always prepared for the dangers!" His confidence brought Recette's spirits up, before she jumped up, fist in the air.

"Right! So I better prepare my shop for when she gets back!" Recette started to pack up the remains of their lunch. "Thanks again Louie!"

"Of course! I should be free next weekend, so I'll come by the shop okay?"

"Yup! No problem!"

"It was good talking to you, Recette, Louie," Nagi said with a bow. "Sorry to have interrupted your date though." At the mention of the word 'date' both Recette and Louie blushed, looking away.

"I-I-I-it's not a date," Recette said, trying to hide behind the pack she was carrying.

"R-right! I was just teaching her some swordsmanship! Honest!"

"Hm? Quite a strange dating activity, but to each their own I suppose." Recette looked ready to faint, and she could swear she could see steam popping out of Louie's ears.

"A-a-anyway, I should be going, gottagobye!" With that, she made a hasty retreat back to the safety of her Item Shop. As she left Louie could only let out a sigh.

"Nagi… did you really have to say it like that?"

The girl, to her credit, did look a bit distressed at her friends' reactions. "Sorry. Perhaps I should have employed more tact? I've noticed you two always being together so I just assumed…"

"It's not like that," Louie said waving his hands in front of his body. Although a small part inside of him felt like he wouldn't have minded if Nagi's assumptions were correct.

Having made her way back to the shop, and having taken a significantly good amount of time to calm down, Recette entered her shop with an "I'm Back!" Tear came out the back, having just finished the last of the inventory-taking on her own, looking slightly displeased.

"You know, I would really appreciate you letting me know about these outings so I can plan ahead properly," she said in her 'I'm-lecturing-so-you-better-listen-up' tone. "Honestly Recette, you're rather lucky that we've gotten better at this to warrant such things in the first place."

"Ehehehe… sorry Tear. I promise it won't happen again." Thinking of her next visit from Louie, and what Nagi had said, made her blush again. "Uh, Tear, can I ask you a question?"

"Hm? Certainly Recette."

"How do you know if you… love someone?" The question seemed to stop the fairy in her tracks, even her wings stopping which caused her to be still in air for a moment before plummeting down. Recette quickly dived to catch her before she was hurt, but the fairy didn't even seem to notice what was happening around her. Recette was starting to panic. "Tear? Tear!? Oh no, I broke Tear!" She held up the fairy, trying to think of a way to snap her out of her trance. "Wake up Tear! I don't wanna run the shop by myself!"

"M-merde… stop shouting Recette. I'm not going to leave you to run the shop on your own. Heaven forbid it." Tear recovered and was flying again. "Anyway, what on earth brought about this question?"

"Oh! Um, nothing," Recette said quickly. "Anyway, let's set up the shop! Recettear is open for business!" The moment she said that, Louie came bursting into the shop. "Wow that was fast…"

"Recette, come quick," Louie said, his sword drawn. "Griff's back and there's trouble!" Recette quickly followed Louie, Tear right behind her as they made their way towards a nearby park. There before a marble fountain was the oddest sight Recette could imagine.

Griff, fighting one-on-one with a young female with a fairy by her side.


	8. First Impressions

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me this far! As your reward here it comes! The chapter that truly makes this story a crossover! The first meeting of the big three main characters! _

**_Shadow1176:_** _Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the story so far. Yes, I have been focusing a lot on the characters as they are the ones who truly make these games shine. So I suppose the battles have been a little lacking as a result, but I'll definitely make up for it hopefully. The minor grammar things... well, not even spell-check is perfect, and I do re-read my chapters after I finish writing them, but some things do slip. It's good to know they are minor enough that it doesn't break the immersion. Also Recettear is by far my favorite Carpe Fulgur release. :)_

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 8: First Impressions**_

"It's so… so… COOL!" Arche could barely contain her excitement at seeing the bustling town of Pensee. After several days at sea, she was eager to stretch her limbs and test her mettle. It came not too soon after leaving the port town of Seasburry. The monsters that attacked them did so without any abandon, their aggression clearly not lost on the three girls. They were stronger than the monsters that lived in Scotsholm in the sense their ferocity and lack of what some would call self-preservation was much greater than they were used to.

Needless to say, it was a good training experience. Of course, there were less monsters the closer they got to Pensee, as they tended to roam about in the dungeons nearby than outside in the wild. The three girls had also been intrigued by the Magic Crystals the monsters seemed to drop as they were defeated. While Griff explained the purpose of them, Stella was able to see them for what they were; unrefined Elemental Stones.

Of course, given the fragile and volatile nature of them, Stella wasn't sure if showing off their Elemental Stones would help them here. It seemed that the people here didn't know the refining techniques needed to make these crystals into something of a more permanent power, though their use still came as a shock when she noticed Griff absorbing them. Each of them tried to absorb them as well, but the power boost was almost completely negligible. Griff further explained how you needed lots and lots of them before a noticeable, permanent boost could be felt.

For now though, he was leading them through Pensee and on to Recette's shop. As much as he didn't like the fact that he was walking about in the daytime, he loathed the idea even more of revealing to these three where he lived. Hopefully, Recette would be able to take them off his hands, or at the very least lead them to a place to stay for the time being.

Meanwhile, Elise and Chante were walking through town, the young woman holding up a piece of paper with directions written on it. "Man, I can't believe that Elan guy ditched us…"

"He didn't 'ditch us' Chante, he said he was going to find his magician friend. Besides, this place he's sending us to, Recettear, is supposed to be a good place to rest. At least he gave us directions to go there," Elise said. Looking over the paper, she gazed around at her surroundings. "Let's see… It shouldn't be too far from here."

"Elise, look!" Elise looked to where Chante was pointing to see a tall, dark-skinned individual being followed by three girls and a flying creature. "That's… a demon?" Elise was also surprised. Demons were rarely seen among humans, especially during the daytime. "This smells like trouble."

"Should we investigate," Elise asked, before Chante flew off. "Hey, Chante wait up!"

Griff and the others noticed the two approaching, which got Arche extremely excited. "Oh wow, a real live fairy! Griff are these the people you talked about?"

"No," he said, narrowing his eyes. "I've never seen these people before."

"Hey! Hold it bub, what do you think you're up to, hm," the fairy spoke disapprovingly.

"None of your business, Fairy," he said. "Now I suggest you and your pet get out of our way," Griff continued, pushing her aside and motioning for the three to follow him.

"Hey, there's no need for that," the girl said, a hard edge to her tone. "Apologize to her."

"And are you going to make me," Griff asked, staring the girl down. This was seriously getting on his nerves right now. When she said nothing, but continued to glare Griff scoffed. "Exactly what I thought. Spineless."

"Griff, there's no need-," Sana began before she was interrupted.

"Hey! Don't you think you can get away with saying stuff like that, demon," Chante said flying near Elise.

"Again, are you going to make me?" This time, Elise drew her weapon, to which Griff prepared himself. "None of you interfere."

"Wha-? But-," Stella began.

"Don't interfere." Griff was stressed from having to deal with all those people on the boat, a bit tired from the constant traveling, and simply wanted to leave these three with Recette and get some proper sleep out of the sunlight. But right now, something to relieve a bit of the stress would be perfect and a fight would do just that. He readied his claws as the three girls could only think of one thing.

_How in the world did it escalate this quickly!?_

The two stared each other down, neither one quite yet willing to make the first move. Griff lost patience first and charged, both striking out at each other. There was a quick clash before they separated and lunged at each other once more. Angry that his strikes were ineffective, he dashed to the trees, using them as cover. Elise stood ready to defend, with Chante at her back, both looking around. The Demon seemed to have the edge on them for now.

"Elise, four o'clock!" The girl turned in time to deflect the blow Griff sent, with Chante already charging a water crystal. Elise unleashed her magic point blank, knocking Griff back as he sputtered to get rid of the water in his mouth. He looked livid as he charged his own magic up.

Several blue lights appeared around his body before zooming off to surround Elise. Instinctively she knew that she had to dodge and back-flipped just as they turned red, exploding in fire. "Whoa!" Several more were being conjured by Griff and Elise was now on the run, dodging through the trees to escape. The lights seemed to pass right through them though, so the blasts were always dodged by a hair's breath. One came far too close for comfort, the shockwave from the strike knocking her down and sending her tumbling into the dirt.

"Elsie, you ok," Chante said, flying by her head and checking her sister over for injuries.

"I'm ok, Chante," she said, covered in only minor scrapes from the fall. She brushed the dirt off her and stared down Griff. "I'll need a power boost here."

"On it!" Chante charged up and as if sensing what she was about to do Griff unleashed his dark power as well, his body covered in a darkened aura. "Get 'em sis!"

"Right," she said with conviction, charging forwards. Griff met her halfway, the force between their two blows knocking up some loose dirt on the ground. Both strained against one another, trying to gain leverage over their opponent. Neither was willing to give in though.

The three girls this whole time had merely stepped back in order to try and not get caught up in the fight, but it was soon becoming apparent that may no longer be possible. "Oh no, what do we do," Sana said.

"I don't think there is much we can do at this point," Stella said, looking at the two fighting. They knew that Griff was strong, but the girl was holding out well on her own. The two broke their clash, pushing each other back, sliding across the ground. They charged in again, heedless of the fact that two figures were approaching them intending on interrupting the fight.

"Enough!" A loud voice shouted out at them, distracting them all. Quickly, a young swordsman jumped in from behind Griff and parried the girl's attack with his shield. In sync with him an older man gave a solid punch to Griff's chest, which, while the demon was able to block it at the last minute still managed to knock him back. "Damn it Griff, what the hell? It's not like you to just be attacking others! And in broad daylight no less!"

"Back off, Priest," Griff said, clearly angry. "I'm not in the mood."

"Then get in the mood," the swordsman said, still facing the girl and fairy with his own blade raised. He didn't know if they were a threat yet, but it was best not to show his back to them. He knew that the man behind him would watch out for Griff on his behalf. "Unless you think you can take on the both of us?" Griff paused at that. Fighting one of them was something he could handle, but the two of them together would be trouble. Trouble he did not need.

Griff sighed, breathing deeply as he willed himself to calm his nerves and stood down. Honestly, he was ready to just call it a day and relax. Perhaps even read something, as it was the only other thing he did besides training. "Whatever. You're here, so show these three to Recette," he motioned to the girls. "I'm leaving." With that, he turned and walked away.

Everyone seemed stunned at the rather abrupt end to the fight, but no one complained. The swordsman let out a sigh, as Elise put away her sword. "Man. Always has to be difficult… sorry about that," he said. "I'm Louie, resident adventurer."

"It's fine. I'm Elise, and this is Chante," she said, introducing herself. "Elan, you know them?"

"Yeah, you can say that-,"

"Louie! Wait up!" Everyone turned to see another young girl with a fairy of her own running up to them. "You run too fast… where did Griff go?"

"Ah! A fairy," Chante said pointing to Tear.

"Two fairies," Arche exclaimed with stars in her eyes.

"Who are you girls anyway," Elan asked. "And why were you with Griff?"

"Er… well, Mr. Griff brought us here from Scotsholm," Sana said nervous before all the new faces.

"That's rather far from here," Tear said, looking them over.

"Um," Recette began, "This is all kinda confusing… can we start over?" Elan sighed, but realized that she was right. This could get really confusing really quickly. Plus he had already told Caillou where to meet him.

"Recette's right. Let's head to the store, we can gather ourselves there." He nodded to Recette with a smile. "Alright, lead the way."

"Yeppers! Just follow me!"

* * *

><p>"Tada! Welcome to my store!" Elise, Arche, Sana, Stella, Chiffon, and Chante looked up to the two-story building that served as Recette's store and home, the sign 'Recettear' hanging over the door. "Come on in!" Proceeding to enter, the group seemed to naturally split into three, with Elise and Chante to one side, the three girls from Scotsholm in another area and the natives of Pensee by the counter. They couldn't help but be somewhat impressed at the layout of the store. Elise could admit that Aria didn't have as wide a selection as this Recette girl did. "Ok, so introduction time! My name is Recette and this is my partner Tear," she began as she presented the fairy flying by her side. "Together, we own this store!"<p>

"A pleasure to meet you all," Tear said.

"My name is Louie," the young swordsman said, "professional adventurer."

"I'm Elan, an adventurer like Louie. I'm also a resident monk and one of Pensee's priests," the older man said.

"My turn then. I'm Elise, and this is my sister Chante," she said, pointing to the green-haired fairy sitting on her head. "We are wanderers I guess you can say."

"Sup," Chante said excitedly.

"I'm Arche! And this is my friend Chiffon," she said, hugging the Wind Elemental to her chest.

"Foo! Nice to meet you all!"

"My name is Sana," the shy girl said, not sure what else to say before the others.

"I am Stella, heir to the Mayberk Corporation in Scotsholm. These two are my classmates and… friends." She ended with a curtsy.

"Great! Now that we all know one another…" There was a gleam in the eyes of Recette and Arche before they started to gush over the objects of their fascination. "Ohmygosh he's so cute," Recette squealed over Chiffon.

"Wow, real live fairy! I've never seen one before," Arche said with stars in her eyes over Tear.

Tear and Stella both sighed and hung their heads, completely mirroring each other actions and sentiments. "Merde… Recette please try to contain yourself."

"Seriously Arche, must this be our first impression on these people?"

"Aw, but Tear he's so adorable!" Chiffon blushed a bit, looking rather pleased.

"Foo… thank you!"

"Hey! What the heck am I, chopped liver," Chante yelled. "I'm a fairy too darn it!" At that Arche moved on to her, causing Chante to puff out her chest in pride while Elise shook her head in exasperation.

"Um, Miss Elise," Sana said, causing Elise to turn to her. "You said Chante was your sister, right? How is that… even possible?"

"Oh! Well, it's kind of a long story actually," Elise said. "You see-."

"Hang on. We should wait for Caillou to get here," Elan said. "It'd be easier that way so you don't have to explain it so many times. He'll be here soon." Elise nodded, as Recette and Arche seemed to talk excitedly to Chiffon and Chante. Louie merely relaxed and thought about buying something while he was here. Even if Recette was occupied, Tear would be more than willing to sell him something. Even though he had the strangest feeling that she was analyzing him right now…

The wait wasn't long, as the door to Recettear opened. "Alright Elan, I came here so what do you… have… to… say…" Caillou's voice seemed to leave him as he noticed the rather large number of people looking at him right now. "Um… Elan, who are all these people?"

"Right, these people have come a long way, so just listen to what they have to say. Everyone, this is my magician friend-."

"YOUR'RE Caillou," Chante said in disbelief pointing to him. "Are you kidding me? Elan made you up to be some kind of hotshot magician and he'd just a kid!?" Louie couldn't help but laugh aloud at the bold declaration, with Recette giggling as well. Caillou's temper flared.

"Watch it! I'll have you know I'm one of the best magicians in Pensee!" Caillou hardly expected this type of welcoming, especially from a fairy. He had always believed that fairies were more… tactful than this. Tear had always seemed so.

"You have got to be kidding me! You're nothing but a brat!" Stella could only smirk, although it was more to Louie's reaction than anything else, as he was holding his side laughing with one hand, the other bracing himself on one of the counters to stop him from rolling on the ground in fits. Arche and Sana simply looked confused by their actions.

"Now, now," Elan said, trying to keep the peace. "Despite his looks, Caillou really is as good a magician as I told you." His face turned serious. "In any case, Caillou, have you and the other magicians come up with anything?"

"Only theories," he said, his face flushed as he tried to compose himself. "We still aren't entirely sure as to what's causing it, but…"

"Right. Then Elise and Chante, go ahead and tell him what you told me," Elan said. Elise nodded and proceeded to explain what Elma had said about the Elemental Kings and their role in keeping the balance of the world steady. Everyone listened as best they could, with Caillou thinking hard about what he was being told and comparing it to everything spoken of during the meeting he had attended.

"Well… it definitely sounds plausible. Something could definitely be happening to them."

"Well, this confirms it then," Stella spoke up, holding up her Elemental Stone. "Do any of you recognize this?" Everyone looked towards it but only Caillou, Tear and Chante knew exactly what it was the moment they saw. Both Chante and Caillou looked surprised, but Tear merely narrowed her eyes.

"That's a Magic Crystal," Chante exclaimed to everyone's shock.

"Not just that. It's a _stable_ Magic Crystal," Caillou said, looking at it in wonder. He quickly noticed that both Arche and Sana also had their own stones. "How in the world…?"

"My father's company makes these. You see, several hundred years ago, a famous sorceress named Minasa-Ratis discovered a way to create these, what we call Elemental Stones. They imbue a lot of power borrowed from the Elementals themselves. However, this stone," she said, holding up Royal Scarlet, "is a bit different. If I'm right, then it possesses some of the power of the Elemental King of Fire. And it definitely explains what the Dark Witch was after."

"Dark Witch," Recette asked.

"Yeah! She's a meanie who tried to steal our stones!"

"It's a bit more complicated than that Arche," Stella said. "Whoever this Dark Witch is, she's working for someone who may be responsible for the weakening Elementals. It could be that the only reason the world isn't completely out of order is that the presence of these Stones might be acting in place of the King's power. But it can't possibly do the job correctly which is why the decline is slower." She kept the fact that Griff seemed to know her to herself for now. It seemed from before that these people knew Griff from somewhere, but she wasn't sure just how much that the Half-Demon could be trusted. He had safely guided them here after all, so for now she wouldn't say anything.

"I've heard the name Minasa-Ratis before," Caillou said. "Just about anyone who practices magic has heard of her at least once. But to think she was able to perform such a feat… In any case, I also noticed you brought an Elemental with you."

"Yeah," Arche said, nodding to Chiffon. "Chiffon here is a Wind Elemental. But he lost his memories after he was sealed with my Elemental Stone," she explained, holding up hers. "We've been trying to help him remember, but we haven't had much luck."

"Tear, are you ok," Recette asked, when everyone noticed that she was hovering lower and lower, still staring at the Elemental Stones.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine Recette. I think I may need to lie down though."

"Tear, what's wrong," Recette said worryingly. Elise couldn't help but sympathize with her feelings though. Although they didn't say it outright, she could tell that the two of them were also like siblings, even if not in the literal sense.

"Recette, can we really trust these three," Tear stated, her eyes narrowing at them. "We've already had to deal with these stones before. Lest you forgotten what happened in the Lapis Ruins." Both Recette and Louie stiffened, remembering what had happened deep in that dungeon, when Tear and her fellow fairy Prime had been absorbed into a large Crystal used to awaken the ancient weapon known as the Geddon Device.

"Why would be untrustworthy!? I hardly see the point," Stella exclaimed.

"My former place of employment, Terme Finance, had a division where they were experimenting with Magic Crystals. Apparently, they were trying to emulate these Elemental Stones as you call them… but they were testing on using them to… work… using fairies to power them," Tear said, shuddering. She could still recall the cold and darkness from when she had been trapped. "They almost succeeded too, and attempted to use one of these crystals to awaken a powerful weapon, using one of our… friends, as its body."

"Using fairies to power Magic Crystals? That's sick," Chante exclaimed, angry at the thought.

"Speaking of fairies though… Caillou, have you heard of a curse that transforms people into them? Or perhaps you Miss Fairy," Elise asked.

"I've… never heard of such a thing," Tear said, looking at Chante. She had every bit of being a fairy, even down to the magical signature of one. She could hardly believe that she could have once been human.

"I've heard of transformation spells before, but never ones that have been used to turn people into other things." Caillou thought about it, trying to remember if he had ever heard of such a thing happening before. "I'd have to consult my books to know more though. You're saying you have been cursed?"

"Yeah. I used to be human, but I was cursed to being a fairy," Chante said. "I really am Elise's sister by blood, but ever since the curse… well, we tried to destroy the source of the curse, but apparently it wasn't enough. A friend of ours who was also cursed as well is trying to find a solution, but when Elan told us about you, we thought you might be able to help."

"Is there anything you can do for them, Caillou," Elan asked.

"Well… like I said, I will need to consult my books. Maybe there is some kind of clue. In the meantime, we need a plan of action. Given everything I heard it's probably for the best that we confirm things by trying to find an Elemental King."

"But… where would we even start looking," Sana asked. "For all we know they could be anywhere."

"Perhaps I can assist you," came a monotone voice. Everyone turned to the shop's entrance to see two women there. One had dark short hair wearing a top that exposed her midriff and shorts while the other had light green hair and mechanical, bulky hands. "Greetings Recette. Your shop wasn't open yet, so I wondered if everything was ok," she spoke in that same even tone.

"We heard a pretty interesting conversation," the other said, twirling a knife in one hand.

"Arma! Charme!"

"Merde… of all people," Tear said.

"If you are looking for an Elemental King, I know where to find one," Arma said in an even tone. Everyone looked surprised by that. "I discovered him while I was still had access to my administration functions within the Lapis Ruins. Given the events that occurred there, I had to ensure that he was pacified before explaining the situation to him. By my calculations, there is a high probably that he is still there."

"Really? That's great," Arche said looking determined. "Now all we gotta do is go down there and find him!"

"Hold on, it's not that simple. The Lapis Ruins are no place for beginners, and you're not even registered with the Pensee Adventurer's Guild yet," Louie explained.

"Aw man," Arche said, clearly bummed out.

"That's not a problem," Stella said assured of herself. "In that case, I can go in as a client, right? Just hire an adventurer to come with me and there's no problem."

"Great idea," Elan said. "Now the question is who else is going?"

"Well, considering Arma has to go, I figure I can sell my services to the young lady," Charme said. "It's been awhile since I had someone interesting than all the usual berks."

"You cannot seriously think of doing this," Tear said. "If you dare to rip-off an innocent young girl…"

"Relax, just because I'm a thief doesn't mean I'd do something like that. I'm still a registered adventurer after all," Charme said, waving her off.

"Regardless, we can't go," Tear said.

"Wha-? But why Tear! We have to go," Recette practically begged.

"We have a shop to run, and orders to fill out today. We can't ignore them," Tear said. Recette looked bummed out, but understood.

"Um…" Arche spoke up, "My dad runs an Item Shop back home. Maybe I can cover for you?"

"But Arche, shouldn't you register with the Guild?"

"Eh, I can do it later. Besides, I want to be able to help right now. You can help too Sana," Arche said determined.

"I'm not sure about this," Tear said unconvinced.

"I can help them out," Louie said. "I've been in the shop enough to know my way around. How hard could it be anyway?" Tear gave him a deadpan look that said it would be much harder than he was making it out to be, but sighed in resignation.

"Very well… I'll give you the order forms for today. Make sure they get filled." With that, she flew off into the back of the shop to get the forms.

"Ok, then I can take these two to the Guild to get registered," Elan said pointing to Elise and Chante. Elise nodded while Chante gave an encouraging shout.

"I best hit the books then. Excuse me," Caillou said, making his way out of the shop. "I'll come back if I find anything."

"Please be prepared for the trip everyone," Arma said. "Expect to spend at least one week traveling down there. We might be faster this time around due to our experience though."

"Are you sure you're ok with it," Recette asked worried. "I mean, with what happened last time…"

Arma gave Recette a small, but reassuring smile. "Do not worry Recette. I doubt it would end up like what happened last time. But I thank you for worrying." Her expression returned to its neutral form. "We should still be prepared for anything."

"Right. Good thing I brought a bit of money. Though I'm not entirely used to this 'Pix' currency," Stella said somewhat dismayed.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure hiring me is worth every Pix," Charme said.

"Right! Gotta pack for four. The finest items for dungeon traveling, thanks to your friendly neighborhood Recettear," Recette said, heading to the back. Tear would ensure to keep their supplies light by bringing only the necessities. Besides, there was likely to be plenty of things down there they could sell in the shop later.

"Right! Let's move out soon," Charme said, excited. "We got us a… wait, what were we looking for again?" Everyone nearly fell over at that. Hopefully things would turn out okay in the end…


	9. Dungeon Crawling 101

_**Fortune Summoners: Journey of the Elementals**_

_**By: Snidne**_

_**Fortune Summoners © Lizsoft**_

_**Recettear, Chantelise © EasyGameStation**_

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

_**Chapter 9: Dungeon Crawling 101**_

Stella Mayberk was not one to waste an opportunity. She had been taught that much by her parents and it came with having a family that built themselves a fortune rather than simply inheriting one. So when it came to having to use the special barriers that protected clients from monsters while within the dungeons, she made sure to use them as needed, but not too often. She needed to learn how to combat these kinds of monsters because she would not simply stand by and let others do things for her, at least not the things that really mattered.

Still, it was harder than it looked, and with time of the essence, she didn't fight too often. Thankfully, she was able to handle the slime monsters easily enough with her fire magic, while most of the others were dispatched by Charme or Arma. She really considered wanting to test her mettle against those tougher monsters, and subsequently blamed such attitude on Arche rubbing off on her. Even if a part of her was a tiny bit curious to see just how far she had come with her magic.

Still, it was amazing to see Charme and Arma in action. The thief whom she was responsible for hiring, quickly and efficiently moved from target to target, using her speed to dodge attacks headed her way while making swift strikes to each creature's weak point, taking them down with minimal effort. Of course, what defined 'minimal effort' became harder to pinpoint after two days of traveling down the dungeon. They were currently on the thirty-fourth floor, making much better time than expected.

Arma, it seemed, was virtually unstoppable and it wasn't hard for Stella to see why. When she first saw Arma able to change her 'fists' into a variety of weapons, she had naturally expressed interest in it. This would be the polite way of saying she had freaked out a bit. Recette and Charme explained to her that Arma was a golem and therefore was a bit different from normal humans, even though she could still emulate them to a certain degree. Seeing her weapons arsenal really made her wonder though.

A Roper charged from behind, which was swiftly cut down by Arma's buzz saws, before turning to another Eye Bat and unleashing a flamethrower. Charme quickly reappeared by Stella's side, striking another bat as it came close. Though the barrier would have protected her, she was rather startled by how easily it seemed the monster had gotten close to her as Recette kept a lookout for any other monsters coming. "Charme look out!" The thief quickly turned as an armored knight attempted to slam his sword into Charme's side, which she was able to quickly block with her daggers. The thief's eyes traced the knight's path to a hallway that she had missed in her initial look-over of the room, having believed it to be a dead end otherwise.

"Get off!" Charme pulled back and threw a small orb at the creature, which expanded into a sticky web that stopped it in its tracks. Arma came from behind, striking it with her fists and causing the creature to break apart. "Thanks for that." The shadows flickered in the wake of the torchlight that illuminated this part of the dungeon which was meant to replicate a cave. Even now, most people didn't know why the dungeons changed looks and shapes with every new visit.

They were on high alert for any other surprises. Thankfully, they were safe for now. "We shouldn't stay here. We have to at least get to the next safe zone," Arma said.

Charme quickly agreed and they were off again. On the first day, Stella had asked why things like 'safe zones' were needed. Tear explained about the creatures called 'Will-o-Wisps' as 'living embodiments of fire and hate' that would relentlessly chase down adventurers who lingered too long on the floors. The only way to avoid them would be to either retreat into the client's barrier, which was only allowed on trips that took multiple days to finish, descending the dungeon floors before they showed up or by camping out in 'safe zones' every certain amount of floors, which were usually guarded by more powerful monsters than the typical ones found on every level.

_I can definitely feel myself getting stronger though… is it because I'm also absorbing these Magic Crystals too?_ Indeed, she could tell she was getting much stronger than before. She wondered if she surpassed both Arche and Sana, and she knew that Arche at the very least would be eager to train in some of these dungeons. At first the crystals had tingled wherever they were absorbed, but after a while she had gotten used to it. She knew that soon enough even her spells would have almost a negligible effect on the creatures, so she made sure to absorb as much as possible to strengthen herself. They were simply getting more and more powerful, so much that even the slime monsters from before couldn't be easily taken out right now.

_I wonder how Arche and Sana are doing right now,_ she wondered as they descended to the next level. She could honestly admit she missed their presence. After always traveling together, to be separated now seemed wrong to her somehow. Of course, she couldn't contact them, at least not without leaving the dungeon itself. For now, she resigned herself to being the one representing them in this journey.

"You know, you seem to be keeping up well enough," Charme said to Stella. Indeed, when she found the girl helping them fight in the upper floors, she was moderately impressed. Of course, she had only taken out the weaker monsters, but it was still something to be said. After all, Recette never fought, though she wouldn't be surprised if it was because Tear would forbid it. The fairy did care for her in her own way after all.

"Well, I do plan on becoming a great magician myself in the future one day, running my father's company aside," Stella said.

"Well, you certainly take this better than some other rich girl I know," the thief said. She had once made the choice of being part of the group of adventurers hired by a young lady known as Alouette, who was the heir to one of the biggest item shop chains known as Big Bash. The girl had money up to her ears and would often spend it haphazardly however she saw fit. Charme had joined her and if not for the big payout would have instantly tried to get out of it. The girl also had her own fairy companion, named Prime, who almost seemed reluctant to even be with her at times. Charme was good at reading people though, it helped when it came to thieving after all, and she could see the connection the two shared, even if they acted like it didn't exist in public.

"Alouette isn't that bad," Recette said cheerfully, despite the rich girl's self-proclaimed talk of being her 'rival'. "She's got a soft spot for Prime after all."

"Yes, yes… now should we hurry along," Tear said. "The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can get back to the shop. Honestly Recette, we cannot afford to keep going on these long dungeon treks."

"Don't worry about it," Stella said. "Despite her looks, Arche can be responsible when she needs to be. Though I do agree we should hurry. My feet are starting to hurt from all this walking."

"Let us make haste then," Arma said, as some kobolds emerged to fight. She switched to her machine gun.

"Right! We got reliable companions after all," Recette said. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"Um… hi, can I help you?"

"Oh no, oh no. Rather it's how I can help you," a young woman said. She had purple colored hair and purple colored eyes that glinted with mischievousness. She had come into the store today to try and sell something to Recette, only to find another, different girl at the counter with yet another stranger helping other customers. She didn't know where the usual Recette and Tear were, but that was fine by her. The fairy often advised the girl not to buy anything from her unless she brought out the _actual_ good stuff she had stashed away, loathe as she was to resort to selling it. But this new face presented new opportunities for her and that would work well in her favor.

After all, as the saying went, a sucker was born every minute. And the girl had a face that just screamed 'Exploit Me!' which was exactly what she intended on doing.

"You see, you might not have heard of me, but I supply Recettear with some of the more… unusual items to sell. Really rare stuff you know," she said. "Normally I deal with Recette directly, but you look like you know value when you see it."

"Oh! Um, thanks I guess," Arche said a bit flattered.

"Yes, and that's why I had to come by when I was able to discover this little gem," she said, pulling out a simple gold statue from her pack. "A real treasure this one. It normally sells out for quite a bit, but I was thinking a mere fifty thousand Pix would suffice for me." Of course it was a lie, the statue was something that could be commonly found in many of the deeper parts of some dungeons and rarely went for higher than five thousand Pix. Of course, the girl didn't know that and that was perfectly fine by her.

"That seems a bit… expensive," Arche said uncertainly. Was something like this really worth so much?

"Not when you think of the profits you'll make with this beauty. Really, selling it as low as I am to you, it's a steal," she said, keeping on her charming smile.

"Well…"

"Hey Arche, I got those swords," Louie said coming out of the back carrying a big box. "Man these are heavier than I thought… At least in bulk anyway." As he put them down he noticed the woman at the counter and narrowed his eyes. "You!"

"Oh hey," she said instantly becoming nervous. "How you doing? Er, those bottles of sword polisher working out for you?"

"Of course," Louie said bitterly, gripping his hand on the handle of his blade. "Want to take an up close look?"

"I'd love to, but would you look at the time, I seem to have a prior engagement I need to address." She turned to Arche as she put away the statue. "We'll do business another time. Later!" And with that she practically ran out of the store.

"Um… who in the world was that," Arche asked as Sana came up to the counter leading another person, an elderly man, with his purchase.

"That was Euria," Louie said. "And trust me when I say you don't want to have anything to do with her. Whatever you do, don't buy anything she offers you. She's a con artist." Louie couldn't count the number of times she had scammed him into buying completely useless things for ridiculous prices. He had thankfully wised up to her actions, but it seemed like she wasn't so ready to change her ways from trying to make a big profit in as quickly a time as possible.

"Eh!? Really, that's mean," Arche said, cheeks puffing out. "How dare she try to trick me! My dad wouldn't fall for tricks and neither will I!"

"My, my, such vigor in youth," the older man said coming up to them and holding a hooded sweatshirt. "That young lady certainly knows how to hire staff! It's good to see she is doing well for herself. Anyway, I'd like to buy this please."

"No problem," Arche said as she rang out his total.

"Thank yoo," Chiffon said good-naturedly before flying off to entertain some of the younger kids who were shopping with their parents. The kids really seemed to be taken with him as he flew around the store.

"Everything is going well… but I really hope Stella is okay," Sana said worried for their friend. Of course, having not seen her in two days would make one worry. "I hope she'll be alright."

"Don't worry, she should be fine. The barrier the Adventurer's Guild gives to the clients will ensure her safety no matter what," Louie said reassuringly. "Though they will probably still have a long way to go. The first time Recette and I went down there, it took us almost two weeks to reach the bottom. It's a hundred floors deep after all."

"Two weeks!? Oh man, maybe I should have gone in instead," Arche said.

"Relax. Arma's with them and she definitely knows her way around dungeons. I wouldn't expect it to take that long, considering that they have twice the firepower this time." While Louie wouldn't completely recommend Charme as a guide, considering that the first time they met she had attempted to rob Recette, his first ever client and gotten in a fight with him, he couldn't deny that her skills were top notch. What she lacked in pure power she made up for in mobility and hit-and-run tactics. And while Charme was a bit shifty and a bit of a booze hound (though nowhere near as bad as Elan, even combining his and her track records) she could be dependable, especially with the right motivations.

Of course, he had seen his fellow adventurers Nagi and Tielle come by the shop, the latter of whom after asking where Recette was joked about how Louie had finally gotten so desperate he had to resort to working for Recette. But Griff had been mysteriously absent this whole time. Even though Recette had mentioned that he preferred to shop in the evenings, he had not seen any sign of the Half-Demon since stopping the fight between him and Elise. He had to wonder what he was doing and why he seemed to be avoiding the shop.

Thinking about it he also wondered how Elise was doing. Today was the day Elan would take her to the Hall of Trials to complete her registration and make her an official adventurer. Hopefully she would pass. She certainly seemed strong enough, but the dungeons around Pensee could be tricky.

For now though, he set the store's sign to 'Closed' to prepare for a much needed break. His thoughts were already turned to a nice big serving of Beef Bowl and he wondered if Tear would notice it being gone from the stock.

"Watch out! Behind us!"

"I know, I know!" Elise turned and slashed at the slime that was attempting to strike her from behind. The room she was in was rather large, and there were several monsters within. Most of them were slimes, but there was also a single kobold in the mix, throwing at them what looked like chestnuts. Elise would have wondered where it even found such things if not for the fact that it would throw them with enough force to really hurt. A fact made present when she was hit in the back of the head by one, causing her to see stars. She managed to regain her bearings and dive to the side to avoid another slime.

"You know, a little help would be nice here," Chante shouted to Elan who was watching the fight while leaning against a nearby wall.

"You have to remember that most clients won't know how to fight. And if I helped you now, you'd never be ready." It was rather interesting for him to see what it was like on the other side of the barrier for once. Not that any of these monsters would have given him trouble. But Elise was clearly not used to how the dungeons operated yet. He had seen her take out the monsters in the wilderness and these were no different.

Elise quickly wiped some sweat from her forehead, careful not to let it get in her eyes as she tried to keep an eye on the monsters. The kobold seemed perfectly fine with staying in the back line and letting the slimes get within range of her sword. The two slimes before her seemed to quiver in anticipation. _Wait, two? There should be…!_ She quickly spun on her heel, swinging her blade as she cut in half the third slime that had been sneaking up behind her. Doing so allowed the other three monsters to attack. She fell on to her chest, sword escaping her grasp. _Damn, this shouldn't be this hard! I've fought monsters like this before, so what changed?_

Indeed, there was nothing special about the room she was in, simple walls and floors with abundant amounts of light to let her see her surroundings. The fact that it was rather big though was no different than the vastness of being in nature, with the exception that there was nothing here to hide behind.

Elise rolled forward, just escaping the pounce of the remaining slimes, quickly grabbing her sword and facing the monsters. "Elise, get ready!" A fiery glow surrounded her as Chante finished charging the spell, thankful for the crystals the defeated enemies dropped. "Burn them down!"

"Right! Fire!" Elise unleashed the magic, striking both slimes, though the kobold jumped away in time. The slimes both bubbled up from the intense heat before bursting into Magic Crystals. Chante took some for storage for later, leaving Elise to absorb the rest of them. "One left!" She chased down the kobold, which was trying its best to back off and throw more chestnuts at the girl. In its haste the creature tripped, which was enough to give Elise the opening to strike it down. Finally finished, she gave the room one last sweeping glance before resting. Taking a Walnut Bread from her pack, she broke off a piece for Chante and bit into the rest of it, letting the tasty snack help replenish her energy.

"Not too bad, considering all the constant fighting you've had to do up to this point. I take it you've never fought this long without a break, right," Elan said walking up to them.

"We've traveled all over before, but these monsters are a lot stronger than I remember them being," Chante said, looking at Elise with some worry. "We've never had trouble before."

"Chante's right. Are you sure monsters here aren't stronger than in the wild?"

"Well, maybe. The monsters we saw while traveling together weren't that strong. But then again, I've been doing this adventurer thing for quite a while, so maybe I'm just used to it," Elan said with a shrug. "In any case, we still need to find the teleport pad to the next floor. It should be the last one."

"Ah! Why do these dungeons have to be mazes? Can't it just be like 'go here' and 'go there' and be done with it," Chante said frustrated.

"Pensee's dungeons are known as 'living dungeons' for a reason. It's why the special maps the Guild gives you only record what you've seen. It's rarely the same twice, save for the safe zones," Elan said. Of course he didn't know why these dungeons had the properties they did. He was sure that Arma probably had tried to explain it, but if she had then he couldn't remember it. Well, it wasn't like he needed to know the whys and hows of it. "Come on, we should get going. After you, miss adventurer."

"Thanks," Elise said, as she checked her map and made her way down a hallway she hadn't gone through yet. Hopefully she could be done soon and take a break. That and she couldn't help but be excited about being a real adventurer, if only for a while. While she did like Pensee, she found that the familiarity with Aria was a greater comfort to her than whatever life she could build here.

If anything though, she would have great stories to tell when she made it back.


End file.
